Whisper
by cheergirlejami
Summary: Sami finds out she is pregnant after sleeping with EJ yet she isn't sure she should tell him the news, meanwhile Nicole discovers she is pregnant too. Which woman will end up claiming EJ's heart?
1. Chapter 1

_**Whisper**_

_**Author's Notes: Story takes place after Sami finds out she is pregnant with EJ's child and the choices she makes concerning EJ and her children.**_

_**Dislclaimer: I do not own Days of our Lives or the characters, if I did things would be different in Salem.**_

_**Whisper **_

_**Chapter 1**_

"I have to get out of here," Sami claimed looking into the eyes of the man she had once professed that she would love until the end of time, sadly though their love could not withstand all the obstacles they had faced, namely one entitled EJ Wells DiMera.

"Do you want me to take you back to the mansion?" Lucas asked trying to be helpful to her because for a change he could see how distressed she was over the news the doctor had given her, blurting out her disbelief to him of her diagnosis without giving a second thought as to how much it would hurt him knowing that once again the man he despised more than any other had another claim to her life that he would not be able to possess.

The mansion was the last place she wanted to go and somehow even with Lucas trying to be understanding of the predicament she had found herself in she knew he couldn't help her. He had his own life, one he was trying to start over without her and she had no right to drag him back into this chaos that seemed to be becoming commonplace to her nowadays.

She shook her head sadly and turned away from him, the finality of the act not lost on either one of them. They were at different places in their lives, ones that would not be crossing much beyond the care of their daughter Allie seeing as how Will was determined not to come back to Salem, at least not anytime soon. 

"Sami, I can help you if you let me," his voice stopped her in her tracks with the kindness it held and she braced herself not to cry, tears would do no good, they would provide no remedy for them and in the end would only cause more harm than good.

She turned once again to face him, seeing the defeat that presided in his eyes and knew Lucas would do his best to try to help her, but his hatred of EJ was something he would not be able to overcome, at least not anytime in the foreseeable future. She walked back to him and hesitantly reached out to touch his face which he immediately leaned into knowing she wasn't going to allow him to provide her with a grand gesture of trying to be her white knight in shining armor.

"Just promise me that you tell no one what the doctor told me," she stressed the words slowly to him, hoping he would keep her secret. She had to sort out her thoughts before she relayed this news to anyone, especially EJ.

"Sami," Lucas began only to have her shake her head at him. 

"No one Lucas, please," she was at his mercy and prayed he would keep quiet, she needed time to think before she went and made a mess of things by reacting before thinking things through.

He knew this was a bad idea, but after all they had been through together he owed her at least this much, besides he wasn't overjoyed in knowing that EJ would be elated when he heard the news even if Sami didn't believe it would be true.

"I promise," he said grimly knowing that Sami would do whatever she had set her mind upon even if it meant destroying the lives of others around her. Then again he relished the thought of having an upper hand against EJ albeit the knowledge did nothing to abate the hurt he felt over losing Sami to him. Why she didn't even seem to realize that she loved EJ and Lucas could see it as plain as day, something he had chosen not to acknowledge fully until after he had come home from his stint in prison.

"Thank you," she hugged him tightly for a few brief seconds before regaining her composure, then she stood up and turned away once more, this time as she walked away alone she didn't look back.

"You're welcome," Lucas said quietly watching her walk away, admiring her courage and strength and missing her all the more as she continued until she was out of his sight, her passing through the doors of the hospital without him once more, signaling to him how their lives were going in separate ways. 

He stood there for quite some time, wishing things were different, that Sami was not going to have another one of EJ's children, so lost in thought that he barely registered the man calling out to him while he stood in the hallway.

"Lucas, where is Samantha? What has happened to her?" EJ tried not to let himself panic when he had heard the news Samantha had been taken to the hospital. When he had approached the nurse's station inquiring news about his ex-wife he had not be able to find out anything from them, furious with them as they relayed he was not family and could not be given any information concerning her.

Remembering his promise to the woman he had loved and lost to the man standing alongside him in the hallway, Lucas decided then and there that he would not let Sami down. If and when she wanted to tell EJ, it would be her decision to tell him.

"She's not here EJ," was all he would say to him, the animosity he felt for him growing with the knowledge that this man had Sami's heart, not him. 

"Where is she at? What is going on with her? " EJ looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of her, his stomach twisted in a knot of worry ever since he had been told Samantha was taken to the hospital.

"EJ, how would I know what was going on with Sami?" Lucas asked him barely concealing his contempt for him in the process. 

"Because you're here…" EJ began, but Lucas interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

"And she's not." Lucas shook his head in disgust and turned to walk away from him, this man did not deserve Sami's love, much less be the one who was going to father another child with her.

Lucas felt EJ's grip upon his forearm, it was strong and twisted him back to face him, "I don't have time for your foolish games Lucas, just tell me where she is and I'll leave you alone." 

"Look I don't know where she went," Lucas supplied shaking off EJ's grip upon his arm with a bit of aggression of his own, further adding to EJ's aggravation with the entire situation.

"You just let her leave?" EJ asked incredulously, thinking to himself that Lucas' stupidity knew no bounds.

"Sami is a grown woman, fully capable of taking care of herself without either one of us hovering over her," Lucas stated to EJ wishing somehow it was different and Sami needed him or anyone for that matter, but once again she was determined to do things her way come hell or high water.

"You're an idiot Lucas, what if she is hurt?" EJ began to stalk off before his temper got the best of him and he went off of Lucas right there in the hallway.

"You've hurt her enough to last a lifetime," Lucas' words resounded in the hallway as EJ started to make his way to the exit determined to find Samantha with or without Lucas' help. EJ wished Lucas was wrong, but he knew deep down in his soul Lucas was right and his words continued to taunt him as he got into his car hoping he would be able to find Samantha since Lucas had provided him with no clues on where to find her at all.

_Whisper__**  
><strong>__Chapter 2_

She'd had to get out of there, the walls of the hospital had been closing in on her from the moment she'd heard the news. It was almost claustrophobic to her, and she only found herself shaking even more when the news began to sink in, her fainting spell at the mansion earlier a precursor to signs she had been steadfastly ignoring for the past few months. She'd been lying to herself about so many different things that if it wasn't for the fact that she was in shock over the news of her ailment it would have been almost funny. Almost funny being the operative emotion, somehow as she wandered the darkened streets of Salem, searching for something the help her wrap her mind around this latest turn of events that karma had seen fit to bring into her life.

She was pregnant with EJ's baby. This of course wasn't planned, but then again none of her other pregnancies had been causes of joyous celebrations when she had found out the news, yet she loved each child she had borne with a love that was unsurpassed. She was a good mother she reasoned within herself, no matter what people claimed against her.

As for the being stable part, well she had to concede she didn't feel very confident or secure with this new knowledge that had just been imparted to her. The timing was terrible; the twins were quite a handful all on their own and now within the space of about four more months she would be bringing another child into the mix. Instinctively her hand went to her stomach as she absentmindedly rubbed the almost unnoticeable protrusion there while thinking to herself what in the world was she going to do.

She had no job, her savings had dwindled down to an alarming meager sum and now here she was pregnant again. The news was difficult to digest, she could feel herself becoming overwhelmed with each passing step she took away from the hospital.

It was ironic she should finally find herself within the stone walls of the cemetery which stood on the outskirts of town. She hadn't even realized how long and far she had been walking her mind and body fueled on with trying to sort out the jumbled thoughts of her life.

She walked into the cemetery, staring at the marbled statues and tombs encased there, finding beauty amidst the markers that proclaimed the births and deaths of the people, some so old the inscriptions were almost illegible. The passing of time causing the stones to weather to the point you would have to trace your fingers upon the stone to even decipher whose body was encased in the ground below.

She had a new life growing inside her, a product of her letting her guard down and allowing EJ into her life once again. Now he seemed so far away and preoccupied with Nicole she was afraid to tell him the truth. She never wanted a man to be with her out of a sense of obligation. She had learned that fact the hard way from her past dealings with Austin. Her single-mindedness in trying to procure Austin away from her sister Carrie had brought her nothing but unhappiness in the end and now even her son Will whom she had desperately wanted Austin to be a father to was in fact raising her son with Carrie no less.

Yes, karma indeed was a cruel bitch, Sami thought as she continued to carefully pick her way among the dead, not wanting to disrespect their graves by stepping upon them all the while wondering if the people who had previously lived out their lives had been happy during their time on earth. She finally stopped at a small stone bench that presided by one gravesite and sat down primly on the slab of stone thinking she couldn't even remember the last time she was truly happy, that state of mind was a fleeting state of existence for her, one that rarely occurred. 

Would EJ even be happy with this news? Lately it seemed he had turned against her too, and that had hurt her more than she cared to admit. It had been comforting to have EJ there for her whenever she needed him, but she had taken his love for granted and now he had turned to find solace in the arms of her worst enemy Nicole Walker a person she could honestly say without reservation she hated.

Her mind drifted back to one of their latest conversations they had held and she felt her heart sinking even more thinking back to what EJ had told her.

_"Hey, can I get a word with you for a second? Look, I don't know what my Father's up to this evening, but I just wanted to you know that I'm thankful for one thing and that's that you didn't take him up on his offer of some help." _

__

_"Because, according to you, I don't deserve help, I'm just a mother trying to look after her child." _

__

_"I didn't say that." _

__

_"I just wanted you to be there for me, just to stand by me." _

__

_"I'm sorry, Samantha. I think it's about time that you started to grow up." _

__

_"Are we stealing lines from my Mom now? That's exactly what she said to me earlier at the police station." _

__

_"She said that to you? Good. It's about time you had a little bit of tough love, darling." __  
><em>

___"Mm, and that's what you're trying to do? Show me some tough love?" _

__

_"No, that's not what I'm trying to do. With the exception of Johnny, as far as I'm concerned, I really don't care. You can be as erratic, as self-destructive, and as childish as you want to be. It's got nothing to do with me." _

She replayed the words he had said to her the other day to her with him stating whole heartedly he did not care what she did beyond her being Johnny's mother. EJ's words had cut her to the core, causing her to doubt he had ever cared for her, the man she had thought would never belong in the ranks of Austin, Brandon and Lucas turning against her had suddenly found his way to the top of the list and her disappointment in him was a very bitter pill to swallow. 

She really had no one to blame for EJ's desertion but herself and that was a tough fact to accept. Yes, she knew she had many faults to her character, but she hadn't thought EJ would begin to condemn her, her mind replaying back the many times he had declared to her that he loved her unconditionally. Then she stopped herself from trying to place the blame upon him because she was the one who hadn't had the courage to tell EJ how she really felt about him, hiding behind the truth of her feelings numerous times letting opportunities to tell him he she really felt for him slip and fall to the wayside.

EJ didn't want anything to do with her. What would he say if she knew she was carrying his child?

_Dialogue in italics taken from US airing Days of Our Lives, September 17, 2008 show._

_Whisper__**  
><strong>__Chapter 3_

Nicole sat all alone at the table watching the candles burn down with each passing moment. What she had hoped to be a night of celebration with EJ was once again ruined by Sami! How she hated her, stealing EJ away with each and every turn that she made. Nicole's anger smoldered wanting her to grab a drink, her good old standby when things were rough or even when they weren't, but she shouldn't drink any alcohol, it could affect her baby, her and EJ's baby.

Her elation over how the evening had turned out with EJ once again leaving her to go help Sami crushed her soul. Was she ever going to have first place in EJ's heart? She thought this baby was the answer, that EJ would finally be hers to claim once and for all. Then her mind returned to the night EJ had turned to her in the elevator and she shuddered thinking of how he had called out the name Samantha instead of her own.

How could she have let him continue after she knew full well he was thinking of another woman instead of her? The woman he was with right now leaving her all alone again.

Warily she hesitated only for a brief second as her shaky hand reached for the bottle of scotch on the bar and she opened it to pour herself a long drink, not thinking about the life growing inside her, only knowing the scotch would help erase the hurt that she was EJ's second choice and always would be as long as Sami was in the picture.

Where could she be? EJ asked as he hit his steering wheel of his sports car in complete frustration. He had driven around Salem for almost two hours with no sign of her and his pride prevented him from calling her family to alert them that he had no clue as to where his ex-wife could be, plus he argued with himself did he need to worry them unnecessarily?

He scanned the latest area he had traveled hoping to see some sign of Samantha, but it was as if she had vanished off the face of the earth. Damn Lucas for keeping mum about her whereabouts. He could bloody well wring his neck for letting her leave the hospital without a single word of where she was planning to go.

Sami could be back safe and sound at the mansion, with no thought that he had been worried sick about her. Thinking about the mansion he finally remembered leaving Nicole there all alone, their candlelit dinner date completely forgotten when he had heard that Samantha had been taken to the hospital.

Maybe she was back home or at least he hoped she was, trying to call her on her cell phone for what seemed liked the hundredth time tonight with no luck, each time he rang her it went immediately to her voice mail making his anxiety grow even more so with his lack of being able to reach her. The next time he saw her he was going to tell her when he called her she better answer his calls, that was after he saw to it she was all right.

Reluctantly he decided to give up on this impromptu search for the woman who preoccupied most of his waking and dreaming hours despite his latest declarations of not caring for her in the least and drove back to the mansion, praying all the while Samantha would be there safe and sound when he got there.

Sami sat in the cemetery until it was so dark she could barely see to make her way out of there, but she wasn't scared to be there unlike some people who seemed to get the willies when they were in such places. Somehow she had felt a peace while she sat there trying to sort out what she needed to do with her life.

She had a few options, some more appealing than others, a few that would be heartbreaking to undertake, but she guessed she would cross that bridge when she came upon it. Right now she needed to get home. Her mind ached, the mansion did not feel like home to her now that she and EJ were at odds with one another and she wished she could go somewhere else to stay until she remembered EJ's threats of gaining custody of Johnny if she chose to leave the mansion reverberated around in her head. 

Lucas now had partial custody of Allie, EJ could get full custody of Johnny and she felt oppressed by the news that EJ would somehow seek to obtain custody of her little one that was yet to make its appearance into the world. Lucas had better keep her secret, she needed time to think, time to plan and time to decide what was the right thing to do for each of her children, including the one who was well on its way to becoming a known presence whether she liked it or not. She wouldn't be able to hide the truth for long, wishing once again that she had more time on her side than she was given. 

She reached for her cell phone that was stashed somewhere in her full pocketbook, finally locating it among all the various sundry things she kept within her bag. She pressed the button causing it to light up in the darkness surrounding her alerting her to the fact that she had several messages. Maybe she should put her setting on something besides vibrate she thought to herself when she saw the number in question.

EJ had tried to reach her and apparently had left several messages for her too, but right now she couldn't deal with hearing his voice, so she deleted them all without playing a single one of them. She thought about calling him just to let him know that she was okay and then thought it would be better just to speak to him in person, even if she was dreading seeing him too.

She went to her contacts list and chose another name instead, opting to call him to ask for a ride back to the mansion, after all he had asked what he could do to help her, well she needed a ride and she knew he would come that was unless he was tied up with Chloe at the moment.

_**Whisper  
>Chapter 4<strong>_

"Nicole what are you doing in here?" John asked as he entered the room after Nicole has finished off her drink, promptly hiding the glass she had used behind her back so as not to let John know she was drinking.

"Waiting on EJ to return," she replied meekly hoping John would be on her side, she knew he still missed Ava whether he admitted it or not and she did too seeing as how Ava had been her one true friend, the only friend she could truly count on. How she wished right now Ava had not chosen to run from the authorities, she really needed someone to talk to that she could trust. Maybe John could help her since Ava was not around.

"I thought you would have left by now, EJ has been gone for a few hours," John stated his lack of tact not bothering him even though his truthful statement hit Nicole like a ton of bricks.

"I was hoping EJ would return soon," Nicole said hopefully, pasting a small smile upon her face even though she felt like crying.

"Nicole I think you are setting yourself up for a huge disappointment if you think my nephew is going to put Samantha out of his mind," John said evenly with no apparent emotion behind his words or thinking how his thoughts would even affect Nicole.

"Well I happen to think differently," Nicole said sauntering over to John with a bravado she did not feel at all.

"Why would you be so foolish as to think that you can pull EJ away from Samantha?" John asked his curiosity piqued a tiny bit since from his vantage point of having watched EJ and Samantha dance around each other for months he knew they both cared for the other deeply.

"Well now I've got something that will make EJ want to be with me, a woman who truly loves and wants to be with him unlike Sami," Nicole said with a certainty, why there was no way EJ would want to be with Sami when he found out that they were going to have a baby.

"Nicole I don't think you understand…"

"I'm having his baby!" she announced to John unknowingly that EJ was standing outside the room.

"What?" EJ asked entering the room; surely he couldn't be hearing things correctly why he thought Nicole had just told John she was having his baby.

"EJ, I didn't know you were there!" Nicole said as EJ had a look of confusion instantly flood over him.

"Sure you didn't Nicole," John said patting EJ on the shoulder as he went to leave the room.

"I didn't John," Nicole began to argue until he was well out of range of earshot.

"Nicole, are you pregnant?" EJ asked not quite sure if he wanted to know the answer to this question or not.

"EJ, I wanted to tell you over dinner, but you rushed out of here like a bat out of hell when you heard that Sami was sick," Nicole started to cry, wanting his pity all the more, knowing she needed to make him feel guilty for leaving her side to go in search of Sami like he always did. "You always run after her no matter how much it hurts me!"

EJ stood there, thinking this couldn't be happening, how he could he have been so foolish? Looking at Nicole weeping he knew it was true, she was having his baby and he would have to do the right thing by her whether he wanted to do so or not.

"Get in the car," Lucas ordered after he had pulled up outside the cemetery thinking Sami sure was a contradiction of sorts, this kind of place gave him the creeps while Sami was standing there just waiting for him to arrive as if she were getting a ride from the movies instead of the cemetery.

"Thanks for coming to pick me up," Sami said settling herself into the car, bringing back memories of the many rides they had shared with one another in his car, although now it was not quite the same. 

"I wasn't going to leave you out here stranded," Lucas gave her an upraised brow. "Why in the world would you want to come out here?"

"I needed to think," Sami answered as Lucas sped away from the cemetery.

"And this is the place you chose?" Lucas questioned thinking maybe after all he should have followed Sami when she left the hospital earlier this evening. "Sami that place is dangerous."

Sami started to laugh, "Lucas the dead are not the ones you need to worry about, it's the cruel ones who are alive that you need to keep in your sights."

"Where did you come up with that little nugget of wisdom?" Lucas asked once again wishing things were different between he and Sami, being with her like this only reminded him of how much he had lost when he had chosen to shoot EJ, not believing in Sami and their love and now it was too late for them.

"I have plenty more, although I wished I had some wisdom for this mess I've gotten myself into," Sami's voice trailed off softly as she thought about this latest predicament she had found herself embroiled in after this visit to the hospital.

"It will be all right Sami, once you tell EJ the truth, I'm sure you'll be able to sort things out," Lucas said with more conviction than he felt at the moment.

"I'm not sure that I'm going to tell him Lucas," Sami replied as she looked over at him. "You are going to keep your promise to me aren't you?"

"Take it from me, the guy you kept Will's paternity a secret from, you don't want to go that route again Sami. You know how long it took us to even be civil with one another after I found out the truth that Will was mine instead of Austin's," Lucas' tone was even, now years later he could still feel the anger over losing precious time with Will, but he understood Sami better now or at least hoped he did and he wanted to be honest with her.

She bowed down her head, knowing Lucas was speaking the truth, she had been so young back then with hopes of making Austin love her that she hadn't cared who or what she had done to get him for herself. "Guess that backfired on me pretty badly huh?"

"You think?" Lucas asked as he tried to smile, it was water under the bridge, something they had both managed to overcome, but still it was something that would always be between them no matter how many years passed.

"Okay, so you think I should just tell him?" Sami asked her uncertainty ringing aloud in her voice and it made his heart ache thinking back on all the times he had chosen to crucify her over her choices she had made instead of seeing her need to be loved and forgiven for her sometimes callous actions.

"Sami, I can't believe I'm saying this because you know how much I hate the guy, but EJ deserves to know the truth, don't try to hide this from him, it will only make things worse between you not better," Lucas took one hand off the steering wheel and grasped hers, giving it a squeeze.

"Lucas, I don't know," Sami started to say when they had arrived at the mansion, her trepidation growing just thinking about telling EJ that they were going to have another baby.

"You never know until you try," Lucas said softly, releasing her hand as he stopped the car. "Do you want me to walk you in?"

"That would be nice, thank you Lucas," Sami leaned over to kiss his cheek, a gesture not one of passion, but rather one of friendship instead.

"Anytime Sami, I'd much rather be your friend instead of fighting with you," Lucas said getting out of the car and going to her side to open the door.

"What's gotten into you Lucas? You don't open doors for me," Sami half heartedly joked with him. 

"Maybe I'm finally growing up too," he said sadly, "just a little bit too late."

"Maybe we both are," she concurred as they headed to the front doors of the mansion.

_Whisper __**  
><strong>__Chapter 5_

They were still talking to one another when they entered the foyer, encountering John along the way.

"Samantha, are you okay? EJ tore out of here when he realized that you were at the hospital. Why I was going to come over until I called and they told me that you had not been admitted," John welcomed Sami with a smile, one that didn't include Lucas, but Lucas knew this version of John didn't particularly care for him much, and vice versa.

"EJ came to look for me?" Sami asked her confusion growing over John's admission that EJ had left the mansion in search for her while Lucas fidgeted a bit standing beside her.

"He did, but apparently he didn't find you," John said giving Lucas a stare down suggesting with his withering glare that Lucas had something behind EJ not finding her at the hospital.

"Lucas, why didn't you tell me?" Sami asked him, wondering exactly what Lucas was up to since he was being so nice to her given all the things they had said to one another the past month concerning parental custody over Allie.

"When did I have time to in the car? You left the hospital before Lurch arrived looking for you." 

"Lucas, please don't call EJ names," Sami raised her voice giving Lucas a look of warning as EJ could hear voices outside the room, pausing before he could give Nicole any kind of response to her bombshell of her having his child.

"Why he calls me names all the time?" Lucas asked suddenly irked Sami would be taking up for the man she wasn't even sure she wanted to tell that she was carrying his baby.

"Just because someone calls you names doesn't mean you need to call them names back," Sami began talking to Lucas like she had many times to Will in the past.

"Now you're the morality police, come on Sami give it up," Lucas started to chuckle even though he knew it would piss her off. 

John was about to say something when EJ came out of the room, leaving Nicole to follow him in his wake, "Samantha where in the hell have you been? I've been worried sick."

"Well, it's a long story," Sami said with a shrug of her shoulders, her demeanor instantly changing when she saw Nicole come running in behind EJ on his heels.

"EJ, Sami is a big girl, she can take care of herself and if not apparently Lucas will be there for her," Nicole stated loving how Sami instantly stiffened up when she saw her enter the foyer.

EJ walked over to Sami, standing in front of her, his eyes full of concern, "Are you okay?"

"What difference does it make?" Sami asked her defenses instantly up especially after Nicole threw her two cents worth into their conversation.

"Yes EJ, what difference does it make?" Nicole asked placing a hand possessively on EJ's arm.

"Nicole, now is not the time to discuss this," EJ gritted his teeth; hating he was caught between them once again and now with the knowledge that Nicole was pregnant only made things worse. He would have to tell Samantha, but he wanted a bit more time to gather his thoughts about it before he spoke to her, preferably alone if at all possible.

"I think now is the perfect time to let everyone know," Nicole said in a sing song voice which caused both John and EJ to widen their eyes as they looked at her.

"Nicole if you haven't realized it yet no one cares what you know or don't know whichever the case may be, seeing as most times you don't know jack," Sami said shaking her head in disgust, she really did despise that bitch more with each passing day. How EJ ever thought Nicole was worth hanging out with was beyond her grasp of imagination.

"I think you may change your mind after hearing what I have to say," Nicole continued on not looking at EJ or John her concentration solely upon Sami and knowing it was going to be such a sweet victory when she broke the news to her.

"Nicole don't" EJ warned but she didn't heed his warning at all, no she was going to let Sami have it once and for all, now she and Johnny wouldn't be the only priorities in EJ's life.

"Shut up Nicole, I could give a damn less about what you have to say," Sami stated heatedly rolling her eyes at EJ in the process before starting to move away from them all. She'd tell EJ later after the troll was gone far, far away from here.

"We want you to be the first to know," Nicole said happily, too happily for Sami's liking making her pause momentarily, Nicole never acted that way unless it was something that would really zing it to her.

"I don't care Nicole," Sami said determined not to take the bait Nicole was trying to dish out to her, she needed to just walk away before she really lost her temper in front of everyone.

"I think you might, I mean don't you want to congratulate us?" Nicole asked all the while steadfastly ignoring EJ's grip upon her arm as she shrugged out of it and got right in Sami's face, preventing her from exiting the room.

"What's there to congratulate unless EJ has finally gotten enough sense to get rid of your annoying presence once and for all?" Sami crossed her arms in front of her preparing for a fight, her hands were itching to bitch slap Nicole and it was taking a supreme effort on her part not to give in to the sensation.

"Silly girl, I'm not going anywhere, in fact I think I'll be around here for quite some time," Nicole stated matter of fact as a malicious grin broke out on her face.

"She is not staying here, please John tell that delusional bitch she has no right to be in this house," Sami tried to move away from Nicole but she was in her way.

"Sami come on now, play nice," Nicole chided.

"The day I play nice with you is never going to happen, not in this lifetime or the next one either," Sami said with a heated assurance in her tone.

"Nicole stop it right now," Lucas came to stand by Sami's side once more trying to provide a wedge between the two women, he could tell whatever it was that Nicole was dying to tell Sami wasn't going to do anything but upset her and she didn't need that kind of stress right now especially after the day she had already had finding out that she was pregnant with EJ's baby.

"Lucas, why you feel the need to protect Sami after all the nasty things she has done to you is really kind of pathetic," Nicole said not caring if she hurt Lucas' feelings or not.

"Goodnight everyone," Sami said trying to get past Nicole once more but she wouldn't budge. "Move out of my way Nicole."

"Not until you hear my news," Nicole said firmly standing her ground.

"Nicole please, I'm begging you," EJ began again to which finally made Sami explode.

"Oh for god's sake just tell me your freaking news and then let me by, I'm beyond being tired and I just want to go to bed!" Sami said almost giving into the temptation to give Nicole a shove just to move her out of her way.

"Okay, since you insist," Nicole said her face lighting up with delight.

"Nicole…" EJ said once more only to have her interrupt him.

"We're going to have a baby!" Nicole blurted out with a glee in her voice. "Aren't you thrilled for us Sami?"

Sami stood there not believing her, Nicole was a lying whore, everyone knew it or should know it by now, but when she saw EJ's ashen face, she knew it was true. She looked at them all in disbelief and finally she turned her eyes to Lucas shaking her head and then fled from the room, knowing that she couldn't tell EJ anything, anything at all.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Whisper**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Days of our Lives or the characters. **_

_**Whisper  
>Chapter 6<strong>_

"Samantha," EJ called out to her ready to take the stairs two steps at a time if need be to reach her, but John blocked his way before he could attempt it.

"Not now EJ," John's voice was steely quiet as he preventing him from following after Sami.

"But I need to explain to her," EJ began his mind only focused on Samantha, the hurt etched upon her face something he needed to help her get past, something he wished he could forget, but he knew deep down in his soul that would be a long time coming.

"Later, right now you need to deal with her," John pointed a finger in Nicole's direction seeing her victorious moment over Sami crumble to dust as soon as EJ had wanted to take off after Samantha instead of him wanting to stay by her side. 

EJ felt his shoulders slump in defeat, John was right, but oh how he wanted to go to Samantha, the urge to talk to her and make things right between them was so strong that it had once again blinded him to anything else. While his mind knew he needed to be reassuring Nicole that everything would be all right instead of wanting to rush to be by Samantha's side, his heart wanted the latter of his two choices. He straightened up and gave his uncle a quick nod of his head, "You're right, I need to talk with Nicole first, maybe Samantha will let me talk with her later."

"I don't know sport, I think Samantha just needs some time to adjust to this rather unexpected news, just like you need to do," John gave him a wry smile, he knew that EJ didn't care about Nicole beyond a physical sort of relationship kind of like what he had encountered with Ava, but who was he to try to meddle in their affairs? Maybe he just needed to butt out of it entirely, and then the mental image of Samantha flashing before his eyes as she realized Nicole was telling him the truth made him realize that she might be willing to talk to him about what she was feeling. 

Lucas pushed past them both determined to go after Sami, mentally kicking himself for even trying to encourage her to tell EJ the truth. Why that bastard didn't deserve to know the truth. If he would have had any inkling that Nicole was pregnant he wouldn't have even suggested anything of the kind to Sami.

"Oh no, you aren't going up there," EJ warned when he realized Lucas' intentions of following after Samantha, the jealously burning through him when he thought that she had turned to Lucas this afternoon in her time of need instead of him and he still had no clue as to what was wrong with her.

"EJ, who in the hell are you to be telling me anything in regards to Sami," Lucas gave him a glare that was even worse than the look he had given him earlier tonight while they had spoken to one another in the hallway of the hospital. 

"Why didn't you tell me where she was?" EJ was ready to tear him apart limb by limb thinking if he'd only found Samantha earlier tonight this entire debacle could have been avoided.

"I honestly didn't know, she told me wanted some time alone," Lucas said not wanting to waste time sparring with EJ over Sami, right now he needed to make sure that she was going to be okay. She sure hadn't looked it when she had taken flight from the room after hearing Nicole's announcement that she and EJ were going to have a baby.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe especially considering you brought her back to the mansion tonight," EJ said not believing a word that came out of Lucas' mouth. 

"EJ, I don't care what you believe, all I want to do is talk to Sami, and you need to reign in your baby mama or whatever the hell she is to you," Lucas stated and moved past EJ heading up the stairs just daring him to try and stop him.

EJ watched Lucas go up the stairs after her wishing he was the one who was going to Samantha instead and knowing he had no right to feel that way when he needed to deal with Nicole. He sighed and turned in her direction only to find her gone no sight of her anywhere in the room and when he turned to John to see if he knew where she had went, he just shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Bloody hell," he whispered under his breath, longing for a very strong drink to calm his nerves, but that would have to wait, he needed to go find Nicole before she did something stupid.

_Whisper__**  
><strong>__Chapter 7_

The first place Lucas went to was Sami's room, hoping she hadn't locked the door closed behind her, but he'd kick down the door if need be to get to her. Luckily the door opened easily when he touched it, but when he entered her bedroom she was nowhere in sight.

"Where are you Sami?" Lucas asked aloud to the room, gaining no answer to his question until he looked to the French doors seeing them standing ajar as if they had been flung open a short while before.

He stepped outside past the doors, his eyes scanning the lush well kept DiMera grounds in hopes of finding her quickly, god only knew what was going through her mind after the catty way Nicole had treated her earlier in the foyer.

He could hear her crying softly in the distance a sound he hated hearing, but he had known after seeing the shock register on her face upon hearing Nicole's cruel words he couldn't have expected any less kind of reaction from Sami. She really was in a predicament now.

He found her in one of the many gardens that were on the DiMera estate, her sobs becoming more audible the closer he became near her. "Hey Sami, don't cry," he said settling down beside her on the marble bench she was occupying and immediately drawing her into his arms.

She didn't say a word to Lucas for quite some time, the only sounds emitting from her were snuffles as she tried to stop crying. 

"You're going to be okay," Lucas rubbed her back soothingly, trying to get her to look up at him.

Finally she raised her tear filled eyes in his direction, "Lucas, I'm pregnant with EJ's baby and beyond my trying to summon up the courage to do the right thing and tell him about it, now I have to deal with Nicole being pregnant too. I can't do it; I won't do it to him. He won't be able to deal with it."

"You're worried about EJ's feelings? Oh my god Sami, here I am worried about you and the stress you're going through and you are wasting your time crying over the fact that EJ has too much to deal with at the moment?"

"Lucas, what exactly is EJ going to be able to do if he finds out that I'm pregnant? I'm not going to be a part of his DiMera harem," Sami straightened up and pulled away from Lucas' embrace. 

"DiMera harem, now that is a new one," Lucas tried to make Sami smile, but she wasn't particularly in the mood for any kind of jokes tonight. "Now that might not be a bad idea, having multiple wives to choose from."

"It's not funny Lucas," Sami said punching Lucas on the shoulder, her temper starting to flare the more she thought about it.

"Look I'm trying to get you to lighten up and laugh about something; god knows this isn't an ideal situation for any of you, but…"

"I doubt I'll be laughing anytime soon," Sami stated trying to keep the tears from starting to flow once more. "Besides as for the wife part there is no way in hell that I would ever marry EJ again especially not with Nicole being in his life!"

"Well you could always marry me again," Lucas offered up to her before he even thought about it.

"Lucas, I'm having EJ's baby," Sami began; this idea of Lucas' was ridiculous, she wasn't going to ruin his life just because hers was in shambles.

"The only ones who know EJ is the father of this baby are you and me," Lucas said now that the ideal was out there, he could see it happening. 

"Lucas, it is just wrong, we don't belong together," Sami said thinking Lucas had lost his mind or maybe she had and just not realized it yet. No way was Lucas going to help her out when only a few short weeks ago they were fighting over custody issues concerning Allie. 

"We did before he ever came into our lives," Lucas declared hotly, wishing for the millionth time that EJ DiMera had never stepped a foot into Salem.

"But he did Lucas," Sami said quietly, pondering over the exact same mantra she had heard many times from Lucas before, "and as much as I sometimes wish the same thing, I won't say that I regret Johnny and now I have this little one to consider too. There has to be some strange cosmic reason why EJ came into our lives."

"The DiMera's ruin everything they touch," Lucas shook his head, rallying against fate over the way things had turned out for them.

Sami touched his face getting him to look her in the eyes before asking, "Does that mean he ruined me too?" 

"No god no Sami, it's just that the life we planned went straight to hell when you divorced me to marry him," Lucas cried out to her. "Can't you see EJ is no good? He is a poison Sami, he wrecks lives with no account to the destruction that lays in the wake of his actions."

She gave Lucas a slightly bitter laugh, "Now Lucas don't you know most people say that about me instead of EJ?"

"Sami there is good in you, most people just don't take time to see it," Lucas said fighting to keep from crying himself, he still loved her regardless of whether she was carrying EJ's baby or not.

"I think this has to be part of my payback from some of the mass destruction I've caused in my days," Sami said quietly, almost too soft for Lucas to hear.

"Sami we can do this, run away with me like we planned, we'll take Allie and Johnny some place where they will never find us," Lucas pleaded with her, maybe he could make her see reason. 

Sami shook her head, "Stefano would find us and if not him EJ would not rest until he found Johnny. He swore to me I wouldn't be able to take his son away from him and now it looks like he'll have another son or a daughter to hold over my head."

"Sami listen to me, I promise you I'd do anything to keep you all safe," Lucas proclaimed getting lost in the moment, the hope growing that Sami might actually take him up on his offer, no matter how preposterous it might seem.

"Lucas, you are so sweet to offer. This has to be one of the sweetest things you have ever offered to do for me and I will never forget it as long as I live, but I can't run away with you. We both know too well what happens when you cross Stefano DiMera and I can't risk my children being taken from me. I'd die before I let that happen to me the way Stefano took my mother and father away from Carrie, Eric and me all those years ago."

"Please think about it Sami, like I said before we are the only ones who know the truth, if we leave Salem EJ will never find out any differently that he is the father to this baby. I know I could make you happy if you only gave me the chance."

"Lucas I don't think happiness is in the cards for me, but for you it could be possible that is if you go and see what might happen with you and Chloe." Sami took Lucas by the hands and smiled sadly.

"Sami I would do anything if I could have another chance to be with you…"

"You told me you couldn't forget seeing EJ and I in bed together, what do you think this child will do? This baby will be a constant reminder to both of us for very different reasons about that night and you don't deserve to have to live with that kind of choice you are making, you aren't thinking about things down the road, you're just thinking about the here and now and I've got to think about the future for all my children. I've already lost Will. I don't think he will ever forgive me for all the things I have done and I just can't bear the thoughts of the rest of my children turning their back on me too."

"Sami I'm sorry I ever let Will leave," Lucas said, missing his son daily for the rash actions he took to punish Sami when she had decided to marry EJ to end the vendetta.

She brushed away her tears, "Will is better off without all this craziness to deal with, he has stability for the first time in his life with Austin and Carrie, something he never had with either of us and while it breaks my heart he doesn't want to come home, I can finally say that I understand why he wanted to leave Salem."

"Are you sure you won't at least think about it?" Lucas asked, maybe Sami would change her mind given time.

"You are incorrigible," Sami shook her head, she wasn't going to accept his offer even if it would be an easy out to what seemed like an impossible situation ahead of her.

"No my dear, that would be you," Lucas stood up, extending his hand to her to help her up also. "Just think about it for a few days, you might change your mind."

"Goodnight Lucas and thank you for everything, I meant it when I said I will never forget your willingness to help us out."

"I still love you Sami, I guess I always will no matter what happens," he gave her a quick hug and departed leaving her to contemplate his offer a bit more.

I wish I still loved Lucas the way he loves me, Sami thought thinking she was a bit more like her mother than she had ever thought herself to be before not realizing the Nicole had heard their entire conversation she and Lucas had with one another in the garden. Thinking she heard something she turned around, but there was no one in sight. She laughed it off guessing it was her jangled nerves playing tricks on her and she left to go back to her bedroom, all the while doubting sleep would come to her anytime soon.

"I don't know how EJ and Lucas can both love that bitch," Nicole spat aloud in the darkness of the garden, coming out of her hiding place in the alcove, glad Sami hadn't realized she had eavesdropped on them , her anger mounting over the realization Sami was pregnant with EJ's baby also. Nicole patted her stomach and vowed right then and there that she would make Sami's life a living hell before she ever let her get her hooks back into EJ again.

_Whisper __**  
><strong>__Chapter 8_

EJ had searched most of the mansion trying to figure out where Nicole had went since Rolf had informed him that sadly Ms. Walker had not left the premises. EJ did a double take after hearing Rolf's candidness regarding Nicole.

"You don't like her much, do you Rolf?" EJ asked thankful for a few moments reprieve from the bombardment he felt over finding out Nicole was pregnant along with Sami's reaction to the news.

"My opinion doesn't matter," Rolf replied stoically, thinking that like Stefano all EJ was interested in was his serving the household to their satisfaction.

"Yes it does Rolf, you are part of this household, a part of this crazy dysfunctional family," EJ stated emphatically, "and I'd really like to know your opinion of Nicole."

"It is not wise to speak ill of guests of the house," Rolf said, not giving EJ a real answer beyond what he was giving him by his latest response.

"Not wise or is that just your way of telling me to mind my own business?" EJ asked his interest piqued even more by Rolf and his impressions he got from being such an integral part of the running of the entire household.

"Maybe it is a bit of both Master EJ," Rolf said still leaving EJ to guess about his true feelings regarding Nicole. "If that is all you need of me I am going to take my leave to check on the wee ones."

"You do love the children, don't you?" EJ asked seeing how Rolf's eyes and entire demeanor changed when he was around the twins.

"They are delightful children especially when they are not crying," Rolf said trying his best not to break into a smile.

"Yes, they are delightful," EJ agreed wondering exactly what Rolf would think of the news that Nicole would also be bearing a DiMera heir sometime in the future.

"I am so glad young Miss Allie is back home with us. It makes her mother very sad when she has to go away to spend time with her father." Rolf added before quickly saying, "I'm sorry Master EJ, I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries. I'm sure you know how upset Miss Samantha has been concerning Allie."

EJ felt ashamed suddenly realizing that Rolf was more in tune with what was going on with Samantha and her life then he did at the moment. He wanted to rectify that situation, but he had to talk to Nicole too. His life was spiraling out of control right before his very eyes and he felt helpless to stop it. 

EJ knew he needed to go find Nicole, but he paused to ask Rolf one more question, "Do you like Samantha?"

"She is a fine woman, one with a kind heart and who truly loves deeply, why anyone with eyes can see it although many disregard her emotions completely, only seeing what she allows them to see, but I watch her when she doesn't think anyone is paying her any attention," and with that he turned on his heel leaving EJ to contemplate exactly what he meant, thinking Rolf knew more about them all than he would readily admit.

EJ wanted to ask him more, but he was gone before he had a chance to ask him anything else. 

_Whisper__**  
><strong>__Chapter 9_

Nicole was furious, why EJ had let her walk off while he, John and Lucas were having a ridiculous conference over who would go see to about Sami and he hadn't even bothered to try to come and find her. Well at least she was slightly mollified to know he wasn't with Sami, but she had never expected in her wildest dreams to learn Sami was pregnant too. It just wasn't fair for once Nicole wanted all the attention and here was Sami trying to steal her thunder.

Why it made her blood boil that Sami thought she wouldn't tell EJ. Nicole scoffed to herself recalling Sami's words to Lucas.

"_You're going to be okay," Lucas rubbed her back soothingly, trying to get her to look up at him._

__

_Finally she raised her tear filled eyes in his direction, "Lucas, I'm pregnant with EJ's baby and beyond my trying to summon up the courage to do the right thing and tell him about it, now I have to deal with Nicole being pregnant too. I can't do it; I won't do it to him. He won't be able to deal with it."_

__

_"You're worried about EJ's feelings? Oh my god Sami, here I am worried about you and the stress you're going through and you are wasting your time crying over the fact that EJ has too much to deal with at the moment?"_

Sami was playing them all, of that much Nicole was sure, why that harlot had done nothing but wreck havoc in all their lives. Sami didn't love EJ; she couldn't love him because Nicole was the one who loved him. She could make him happy; all Sami ever did was break hearts. She was cruel, heartless and selfish, her brother Brandon could attest to that pertinent fact, why he had left Salem to rid himself of her along with Austin and if Lucas wasn't such a moron he'd be long gone too, then again he had went to prison for shooting EJ all because Sami had married him.

These men had no freaking clue how destructive Sami was, but Nicole knew and hated her all the more for it. Somehow she'd make Sami pay for all the bad things she'd done, but she had to make sure EJ would never fall for her crap ever again. It might take her a few days, but Nicole was positive that she could come up with a sure fired plan to have EJ despise Sami more than the rest of the guys she had tried to destroy combined.

No way was Sami going to have EJ. Nicole deserved the happy ending with EJ, not Sami and she was going to do everything in her power to make things work out to her advantage, no matter what she had to do to achieve it.

So lost in thought over her devious plans to bring Sami down, Nicole didn't see EJ approaching her until he was almost to her, causing her to jump unexpectedly over his presence.

"God EJ you scared the life out of me!" Nicole placed a hand over her heart as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry Nicole, I didn't mean to frighten you, I've been trying to find you for a while now," EJ said in hopes that Nicole would calm down a bit, this couldn't be good for the baby.

"I thought you'd be fighting Lucas over who was going to see Sami first, you or him," Nicole tried her best to sound hurt, knowing exactly how to play upon EJ's sympathies even more now since he knew she was pregnant.

"Nicole, it was just such a shock for all of us," EJ started to explain, trying to make her see that it was going to take some time for them all to get adjusted to this new situation at hand. 

"You think this is easy for me? How do you think I feel about you running all over creation for Sami at the drop of a hat when I'm the one carrying your child? Sami doesn't care about you, she never has and she never will," Nicole added the last part to drive home the fact to EJ that Sami wasn't the one for him, whereas she was perfect for him.

Nicole's words hurt, EJ knew Sami didn't care about him, but to hear Nicole voice again his innermost fears over Sami just made it all the worse for him. He was doing them all a disservice, most of all to Nicole.

"Nicole, we'll work this out, we'll make things work, you just have to give me some time to get used to the fact that I'm going to be a father again," EJ tried to his best to smooth things over, right now he didn't know whether he was coming or going. He was so confused and it didn't help matters he couldn't push Sami from his mind no matter how hard he tried. "Listen I'll have Chance drive you home in the limo tonight and we'll talk more tomorrow when both our minds are clear and we've both had a bit of time to get our thoughts in order."

"You mean I can't stay the night here?" Nicole asked in a pitiful voice.

"There aren't any rooms readied for guests after Father commandeered the entire west wing for himself upon his return to the mansion, needless to say between John presiding in the north wing, Tony and Anna taking the entire south wing for them, there aren't any rooms left."

"I could stay in your room," Nicole offered up only to have her hopes dashed when EJ immediately shook his head no before he answered her.

"Let's take things one step at a time," EJ said not wanting to have to deal with Nicole and Samantha running into one another, tonight was bad enough to last them all for quite some time.

"We'll talk tomorrow?" she asked him once more when they had walked back into the mansion and headed to the front door, Chance already pulling the DiMera limo up to the curb to take Nicole back to the Salem Inn.

"Tomorrow," EJ promised giving her a chaste peck on the cheek instead of kissing her fully on the mouth, making her pout slightly, but as she situated herself into the back seat of the limo she knew she was going to have it all now that she was going to have EJ's baby, the DiMera fortune and power were just within her grasp, even if EJ didn't know it yet. Yes, it was only going to take her a little bit more time, but she was going to possess it all and Sami would be left out in the cold for once and all.

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 10_

As tired as she was Sami couldn't sleep, she tossed and turned for a while before flinging off the bed covers and getting up out of bed. After she switched on the lamp beside her bed she located her slippers and robe, putting them on and headed out of her bedroom.

Her first stop was of course to the nursery, the twins were sleeping peacefully. She smiled as she looked upon them, her sweet babies had graduated to toddler beds earlier this past month and sometime during the night Johnny had crawled into Allie's bed, snuggling up tightly against his sister. The sight made Sami remember all the times she and her twin brother Eric had done exactly the same thing and a pang of longing arose within her to be with him. She needed her brother especially now in the light of recent events. She would call him later on tomorrow, somehow knowing that just by hearing his voice would help her find some kind of clarity.

She leaned down kissing each twin on the forehead and rearranging their blankets so that they wouldn't get cold during the rest of the night. "I love you both," she whispered before leaving their bedroom.

EJ also couldn't sleep, the images of the past day replaying over and over in his mind with a vividness that broke him out in a cold sweat. From the candlelit dinner with Nicole, to finding out Sami had been taken to the hospital, his fruitless search for her and then the ugly confrontation back at the mansion, it was a day he didn't wish to relive.

Finally giving up on getting a decent night's sleep, he decided to go check on the twins, pulling on a tank top to go along with his pajama bottoms, he headed straight for their room only to find their mother already with them.

Thinking it best not to interrupt Samantha's time with Johnny and Allie given the past day's events he watched her with them instead, seeing how she looked at them with such love, leaning down to kiss each one and hearing her whisper how much she loved them. Samantha looked almost angelic in the soft glow radiating around her from the night light that was in the twin's bedroom.

EJ thought Rolf was right; when Sami didn't have her guard up it was plain to see how much love she was capable of giving. EJ vowed to look beyond the barriers she had erected against him to try and find even a fraction of the love she had for the twins that somehow maybe she had some kind of affection hidden in there somewhere for him.

As she left their bedroom, EJ watched her go, thinking she would go back to her bedroom, but instead she turned to go down the stairway. He waited a few more moments and then went into the twin's bedroom, looking at Johnny and Allie asleep in Allie's bed and he smiled as he recalled Samantha mentioning even if they bought the twins separate beds they would probably wind up in one or the other's beds before the night was over. EJ hadn't thought they would do that, but Samantha was right, the twin's bond was stronger than he had given them credit for and now it made him wonder if they missed each other when Allie had to go away for her time with Lucas.

He had tried to force those kinds of thoughts from his mind, along with Samantha's pleas for his help in keeping Allie with her instead of having to share joint custody with Lucas. Now he was seeing why Sami had been insistent Allie needed her mother and that the twins should not be separated, especially after Rolf's keen observation over had sad Samantha had been lately. 

_"I just wanted you to be there for me, just to stand by me." _

Her words haunted him, her fierce streak of stubborn pride usually prevented her for asking much of him beyond some help with the children and for her to admit she had wanted him to be there for her, for him to stand by her side while he had steadfastly refused made him wish he had done things differently a few weeks ago. Why he was no better than the rest of them, proclaiming that Samantha needed to grow up, maybe he was the one who needed to grow up some more too.

He looked at his sleeping children and said softly before kissing each of them, "I'm going to do right by your mother. I'm sorry I've lost my way for a bit, but I'll do better because you all deserve more from me than what I have given you lately." 

He straightened up and decided to go down the staircase in search of Samantha, maybe they could get a chance to talk while the house was quiet and everyone else was asleep. All he wanted to do was sit with her for at least a little while, he really didn't know what to say to her, but he knew if they just had some time alone together then maybe he could make her see he never meant to hurt her. The look of disquiet that appeared in her eyes after Nicole had given her the news of her pregnancy was something he never wanted to see cross her features again. 

He looked into a few of the rooms, not finding her in any of them and then he thought she might have gone into the kitchen. He hurried on wanting to speak to her anything to spend some time with her, but as he rounded the corner to make his way into the kitchen he stopped, someone else was with her sitting at the table with her. He stepped back, frustrated again as all his attempts to find or either spend a few quality moments alone were thwarted again.

He stood in the shadows watching Samantha and John, wishing he had the ease with her that somehow John who didn't really fit in with hardly anyone had with Samantha.

"You can't have a glass of milk at night without these," John stood up from his chair, scraping it across the hardwood floor and reached upward into a nook in the pantry that apparently was a hiding place for him. He smiled as he took the cellophane blue and white wrapped package and presented it in front of Sami. 

Sami gave him an incredulous look, "John, how did you know these were my favorite cookies?"

"Lucky guess?" he shrugged his shoulders, but Sami wasn't convinced.

"Do you remember us sneaking into the kitchen late at night and dunking Oreo's in our glasses of milk?" Sami asked, a look of wonderment dancing across her face. "John, are you starting to remember your past? Oh my god, we've got to call Mom, she will be so excited!" 

"Hold on Samantha," John held up his hands, "I don't want to get Blondie's hopes up."

"But you remember how when I couldn't sleep you would fix me a glass of milk and give me a few Oreo's, I can see it in your face," Sami's eyes shone with an excitement that seldom crossed her face anymore these days beyond the time she spent with the twins.

"I just get bits and pieces of things coming to me," John handed Sami a cookie to dunk and then took one for him also, repeating the identical procedure that Sami was doing.

Sami took a bite of her milk soaked cookie, munching on it before asking, "How long has this been happening?"

"More and more since the lock down occurred at the hospital," John said solemnly. "I've been getting headaches and then my vision blurs and viola another disjointed snippet comes into play in my head."

"You need to go to the doctor," Sami reached out to grasp his hand. "You might regain your memories after all."

"No!" John shook his head vehemently.

"No you don't want to regain your memories or no hospital?"

"I hate the hospital," John said with a childlike demeanor that almost made Sami laugh, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

Sami smiled a smile of complete understanding, "I don't like the hospital either, but they could help you there."

"Maybe I don't want the help," John offered up as Sami crinkled her brow.

"Don't you want to remember your life?"

John spoke slowly, "I know I was a different man, but I don't know if I can be that man again. Most people want to change me, want me to go back to being someone I don't even know if I like, but I like me now even if no one else does."

"I like you now," Sami said softly, "and you know that Mom loves you."

"This love thing is very complicated," John said matter of fact.

"I totally agree," Sami concurred wishing the road to true love wasn't such a difficult one to navigate, but for her it always had been.

"We're not like everyone else are we?" John asked handing her another cookie which she wanted to refuse, but Oreo's were one of her weaknesses so she took it from him.

"No, most people either don't know what to do with us or would rather we just disappear so that we won't upset their nice normal lifestyle." Sami said dunking the cookie a few more times before taking a bite into it.

John raised his milk glass now cloudy with the residue from the Oreo's and clinked Sami's glass, "Here's to being different."

"I'll drink to that," Sami agreed and took a sip of her milk.

"I guess I'll go to bed now, but I wanted you to know one more thing," John said taking the bag of Oreo's and placing them back into the hiding place of the pantry.

"What's that John?" Sami asked, wondering what he would say to her.

"Just know even if everyone else is determined to give you a hard time I won't judge you and I'll be in your corner no matter what happens." Sami stood up and impulsively hugged John as he awkwardly patted her back, "I'm still not to used to hugs either."

"That's okay," Sami smiled and backed away from him. "I think the more you give them it gets easier with time." Her voice breaks slightly before adding, "Thank you John for your support because now more than ever I am going to need it in the upcoming months."

"Is this about what happened in the foyer earlier tonight?"

"Yes, among other things, but I can't go into it now without falling apart and I need to be strong, I have to be strong."

"I won't let you down. Goodnight Samantha."

"Goodnight John." Sami watched him exit the room, a smile upon her face. While he might not be the man everyone remembered tonight he was the man who remembered how to make a little girl feel better when she couldn't fall asleep late at night.

EJ knew he shouldn't have listened in on their conversation and now after hearing Sami tell John that she needed to be strong he was more confused about her now than even before.


	3. Chapter 3

_Whisper_

_****__Disclaimer: I do not own Days of our Lives or the characters._

_Author's note: I changed some things around, taking the liberty of using Stefano's and EJ's conversation after EJ had come back home from the hospital and using it in another time frame before it actually took place since if the show can change history on a whim then apparently I can change things around to suit my story. _

_Whisper _

_Chapter 11_

Sami looked around the darkened kitchen after John left going back to the table to retrieve the now empty glasses of milk that she and John had drank, taking them both to the sink to rinse them out before opening up the dishwasher to place them on the top rack to be washed during the next time Rolf cranked up the dishwasher. She stood there for a few minutes; missing the fact that now even though there were servants in the DiMera mansion she missed doing things for herself. Maybe she had become too complacent here at the mansion after all.

She closed the dishwasher door and contemplated going back to bed, but she didn't think sleep would come to her or if it did she would be haunted with nightmares of Nicole relaying the news of her pregnancy to them all again. She shuddered, instantly rubbing her arms trying to find some warmth since her thin robe was doing nothing to alleviate the cold she felt. The coldness she was experiencing might have something to do with her mixed up emotions.

She tried to tell herself that it was just the pregnancy hormones acting up as she walked into one of her favorite rooms in the mansion even though she wouldn't readily admit anything of the kind to EJ since she always proclaimed to him staying in the mansion creeped her out. She did like the drawing room since it had lots of windows which brought in the light during the day and at night the moon would shine brightly upon the room. There had been many times during her stay here she had found solace in this room when things with EJ had become too much for her to bear, when she needed a few minutes alone to restore her strength to fight off her ever growing emotions to the man she had been determined to hate, but unfortunately had grown to love him in spite of herself.

EJ had stealthily followed Samantha from the kitchen to the drawing room, still not making his presence known to her just yet, rather taking the time to look at her in the moonlight that was spilling over into the room. She was breathtaking to say the least with her pale golden hair flowing down around her shoulders, the silhouette of her body encased in her white robe and gown one he wished he could strip from her so that he could see her naked before him. Just the mere thoughts he was beginning to have made his desire for her grow even though he knew he shouldn't want her, he had another woman pregnant with his unborn child yet here he was imaging Samantha naked in the moonlight, wishing fiercely she would come to him, beg him to take her so that they could make love to one another again.

He could feel himself hardening to the point where it would be difficult to disguise if she were to become aware of his presence, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted her with a desperation that he thought would somehow wane over time, but sadly it had not for him, he wanted her now more than ever. Why couldn't he get her out of his system? He recalled his latest conversation with his father concerning her and he knew his father had seen through his false claims of not caring about Samantha, that he had clearly picked up on his love for her despite his objections otherwise.

_"Ah, someone is in a good mood." Stefano remarked as EJ came into the room immediately helping him to the bar to pour a drink._

__

_"On top of the world, thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to revel in my good spirits on my own."_

__

_"Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear, what has Samantha done now?" _

__

_EJ gave him a glare, "Nice try." _

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_"A simple question, Elvis." _

__

_EJ settled into a chair, running his hands through his hair in a gesture of complete frustration, "Simple, huh? Simple, any time the word Samantha is used in a sentence, it is anything but simple. It is hideously complicated. Laughable, in fact. Frankly, I don't know why I bother. I don't know why anybody bothers." _

__

_"Well, I'm glad to see that you're taking this calmly and rationally." _

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_"If she had one redeeming quality, what, grace, whit, charm? I don't know anything? You know, she doesn't even have a sense of humor. It's puerile at best, which would be fine if she wasn't so completely clueless." _

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_Stefano questioned, "You are saying that she is ignorant, ordinary?"_

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_"Completely. Complet… well, obviously she's physically, she's very beautiful, I suppose, but outside of that, she's coarse. She's cold. I mean, if you saw," EJ paused again trying to justify his answer to his father, " if you saw Samantha crying, tears running down her face, your heart wouldn't go out to her. Why? Because she doesn't have a heart." _

__

_Stefano began to contemplate his son's explanation, "Mm-hmm, so, that is why you are hopelessly in love with her?"_

__

_EJ scoffed with a humorless laugh, "I'm not in love with her. Infatuated maybe, I suppose. I certainly found her very interesting. But you know what I've discovered? She just appeals to all the worst parts of me. Once you get out of that dense, Samantha fog, you know you find? Not much. You know, the only thing I get out of this relationship is something self-destructive, something masochistic." _

__

_"Are you finished with your rant?" _

__

_EJ cut his eyes to his father with a petulant frown starting to form upon his __  
><em>_face, "It's not a rant." _

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_"It was a rant because it is coming out of anger and frustration. It is not coming from your heart." Stefano touched his heart for emphasis, a fact that was not lost upon his son. _

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_"You're going to be my shrink? This should be good." _

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_Stefano sighed, "I'm simply telling you the truth, Elvis. You have a child with Samantha, the precious Giovanni, hmm? He's your son, your heir, and because you are a DiMera, it means everything to you, and that is the reason why Samantha is important to you. Because she is the mother of your little boy, huh? That alone bonds you with her for life. There is nothing more powerful than sharing a child. You know that as well as I do; Elvis. And that's why she will always have a hold on you. You'll never be free of her." _

__

_"So I'm never going have any peace of mind? Is that what you're saying?" _

___Stefano took another sip of his drink, "Well, that's up to you, my son, hmm? It is very obvious that you and Samantha are meant to be together. Now, whether it is harmonious or inharmonious, that is your choice. You can either love her, simply love her, or you can go on fighting it. Which will it be, Elvis?"_

His father words reverberating in his mind with a clarity that was earth shattering and now he had Nicole to fit into the equation. He honestly did not feel bonded to Nicole like he did Samantha and the guilt began to assail him, what kind of man was he to be fantasizing about one woman when he had another one pregnant?

If he had any sense of decency at all he would leave Samantha alone, she didn't need this new complication he had suddenly found himself in with Nicole's revelation. He shook his head sadly thinking for the thousandth time he should have heeded Samantha's warnings to stay away from Nicole. Now it was too late, he was trapped into something he had no clue of how to extricate himself from without hurting everyone around him and then when he looked at Samantha staring into the night sky with a look upon her face that seared him to the depths of his soul he thought it was too late for that because he had already hurt the one woman he had vowed not to ever knowingly hurt again. 

He was going to go, he needed to flee the room before she realized he was patiently watching her and he did something incredibly stupid like beg for her forgiveness when she probably could care less if he was having a child with Nicole or not.

She looked like she cared though, or maybe that was just his foolish imagination playing tricks on him as he was helpless to move away from the shadows of the doorway while she looked up at the stars and brushed away tears from her cheeks with her hands. He had been lying to his father when he had told him if anyone saw Samantha crying with tears running down her face, that their heart wouldn't go out to her because right now his heart was pounding with a fierceness to be the one who kept those tears at bay instead of being the one who caused them to flow from her.

He wanted to will away the past few months to go back to the night when he and Samantha had agreed to wipe the slate clean between them, for them to join together again with their bodies and souls without having Lucas' untimely interruption to tear them apart, for him to never had met Nicole Walker also, but he knew he was wishing for things that he could never have, just like the woman who stood in the moonlight. Samantha was as out of his reach as she had been from the very start of their tumultuous relationship and as he turned to go back to his room without confronting her, maybe she always would be.

_Dialogue in italics taken from US airing Days of Our Lives, October 3, 2008 show._

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 12_

She must be hearing things Sami thought for the second time tonight when a sound emitted from the doorway of the drawing room, she shrugged trying to get a grip on her emotions, she didn't need to be like a child crying for the moon, wishing and hoping for things to be different when she could have prevented the situation she had now found herself to be in concerning EJ. Then she was angry at herself, it was not this unborn child's fault that she was in this situation, it was all of her own making or rather her and EJ's making, but she couldn't think about that night, she didn't need to be reminded of how it felt to be in his arms, to feel the euphoria of letting go and touching him and allowing him to touch her in return. 

No she wasn't imaging things, she clearly heard someone or something was here in the room with her, "Who is there?" she asked to the surrounding darkness, thinking maybe John had returned or that Rolf was up seeing as how they had run into each other before in the mansion during times that sleepless nights had occurred to them both. Never once thinking it could or would be EJ, surely he was with that whore Nicole; no doubt they were both celebrating their good news as Nicole had so aptly put it to her.

He stopped, contemplating as to whether or not to reveal his identity to her, he was sure he wasn't on the top of her list right now at this particular moment in time, but he had been the one to seek her out and now when the opportunity was upon him was he just going to turn tail and run away like a scared boy? Was he going to continue to hide in the shadows hoping for a chance to be with her when all he had to do was speak up and answer her question?

His hesitation to answer her of course brought out her impatience to the surface. "Whoever it is, answer me! I'm in no mood to play games tonight!"

He liked that she still had fire in her despite what had happened earlier tonight and hearing her voice resounding with a speck of ire in it goaded him on to reveal himself to her as he walked over closer to where she was standing, her stance a bit guarded and wary as she awaited an answer from the darkness. "It's me Samantha." 

Why had she even asked who was in the room with her? Her spirit immediately plummeted, the one man she wanted to see, yet in the same instance did not want to see either. She had a secret to keep from him now, she didn't want to be a burden to him, an obligation for him to be beholden to her just because they had been careless the night they had succumbed to passion and made love, or as she had aptly put it had fun with one another. Some fun indeed, now she was paying the price for throwing caution to the wind that crazy night.

At least she was thankful for the darkness so that he could not see the blush that was starting to form upon her features as she thought of the night she had willingly gave herself to him time and time again.

"What you can't sleep? Guess you and your whore are so excited that sleep is escaping you or are you just up getting a drink to get you ready to go another round with the slut?" She flung her questions out to him viciously, she wasn't going to become a puddle of tears in front of him, she'd almost lost it earlier when Nicole had announced her pregnancy when their eyes had met, but she wasn't going to let that happen again. She couldn't afford to let him know how much the news had affected her both mentally and physically.

She turned to leave him there, shaking her head in disgust, trying to get the image of him standing before her with only his pajama bottoms and tank top out of her mind, the articles of clothing he wore only reminding her once again of the night they had shared. She yanked to tighten her robe; it wouldn't do either one of them any good if EJ realized that her body was changing even if it was only a slight subtle change at the moment, before long it would be very difficult to conceal her pregnancy from him or anyone else for that matter. She almost cut off her breathing as she tugged on the sash and stopped for a moment only to realize he was right on her heels.

He wasn't going to let her walk away from him thinking he had let Nicole spend the night with him here at the mansion, why the thought to him was akin to blasphemy seeing as how the night they had made love was in her room, a place he had longed to go to so many times since that night. He reached out a hand stopping her from leaving the room and making her turn to face him again.

"Nicole isn't here Samantha," was all he offered up to her as Sami tried to break his grasp upon her arm.

"Why not? Surely you plan on moving that gold digging tramp into the mansion don't you? But be assured she will not be around my children at all!" Sami claimed trying to feel more brave than she did at the moment with him so near to her, her anger slowly building up the more she thought about Nicole and EJ being together.

"Who are you to throw conditions out on what I may or may not do with my son?" EJ asked glad at least he had the anger to resort to since Samantha wanted to be so damned unreasonable whenever it concerned Johnny. She had no right to dictate what he could or could not do with him.

"I'm his mother," Sami stated heatedly, trying to loosen up EJ's grip upon her arm, but he held onto her tightly.

"Yes you are, but I am his father," EJ reminded her in no uncertain terms, drawing her closer to him so that they were only a few inches apart from one another.

"And of course your word is law, isn't it Master DiMera? You're no better than your father," Sami snorted with displeasure, hoping she would piss him off enough to make him let go of her, she couldn't deal with him being so close to her, at least not yet, her feelings were too raw right now. 

"I am nothing like my father!" EJ's voice rose to a near shout, surely Samantha had to remember all he had done for her to prove he was nothing at all like Stefano DiMera, a man her family feared, loathed and despised more than any other on the face of the earth.

"You're just like him, if not worse," Sami continued on, uncaring if she did make him mad or not, it was good to feel the anger flowing through her, at least she could feel something besides despair when she was angry with him. 

"You know better Samantha," EJ pulled her even closer to him, so close that their bodies almost touched one another.

She shook her head, "No, I don't…" but then the rest of her words were cut off when EJ did the only thing he knew how to do to make her stop saying these things she knew wasn't true, things he didn't want to hear. 

_He kissed her…_

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 13_

How dare him? Sami thought as she felt his lips descend upon hers. EJ did not play fair, how was she supposed to keep him at arm's length if he did crazy things like this kissing her when she was trying to tell him off? She wanted to pull away, no she corrected herself she needed to pull away from him before he took her down another disastrous road of decadent sexual need he somehow managed to conjure up with the simplest of touches.

Oh his sweet sexy kisses would be her undoing if she allowed him to continue, she had to think fast before she was swept away by this man who knew more tricks about women than she apparently knew about men. Instant arousal flared up between them both as their lips sought out the other, both trying to get closer until the alarm bells began to ring loudly in Sami's head when she felt his erection stiff and rigid against her body.

She threw an elbow soundly into his ribs, catching EJ off guard and subsequently allowing her to break free from his hold upon her. She tossed her hair and took a few steps back away from him, as he coughed and sputtered, "Damn it Samantha!"

"Come any closer and you'll have worse to deal with than just some bruised ribs," Sami warned with an uplift of her knee in the very near vicinity of his manhood. She could see the sparks in his eyes even without anything beyond the pale moonlight of the room, both trying to catch their breath as they eyed one another trying to contemplate what the other would do next.

Sami had seen that look from EJ before and it hit home to her immediately that she was seeing a glimpse of how dangerous EJ could be when he was angry. She hadn't been a witness to that anger directed at her for quite some time and it took her aback for a few seconds until she mustered up her courage to stand and rally against him. She would never be afraid of EJ again, she knew his weaknesses and if she had to she would use them against him if need be to keep him away from her.

"You are impossible!" EJ said trying to catch his breath, now he was pissed off and aroused even more if that were possible.

"You are a man with no morals!" Sami retorted which only caused him to chuckle mirthlessly.

"That's rich seeing as how morals don't rank up there too high for you when there is something you want to get," EJ sneered wishing his erection would subside, but so far it wasn't looking like that was going to happen anytime in the near future.

Sami started backing away from him; the bastard wasn't going to get the best of her especially not a piece of her which is what seemed to be on his agenda for the evening after she felt his erection against her. Damn him, he was such a player, she bet he'd been doing Nicole nonstop since their nasty elevator tryst.

"Don't you even start with me," Sami tried to keep her voice down, when EJ kept up with each step she took backwards away from him, he took another step forward, making her finally come into contact with the wall and leaving her no room for escape from him and she feared she might be in for another round of those damnable kisses he liked to bestow.

"Darling, I'm just getting started," EJ said with a surety that made her breath hitch a tiny notch which only infuriated her more because she didn't want him to have the upper hand with her at all. 

"I'm not your darling," Sami shook her head in negation, she couldn't allow herself to be anything to him beyond Johnny's mother and of course the mother of his other unborn child which he was yet to have any knowledge of from her.

"Yes, you are," he had her means of escape cut off, making sure she didn't have enough room to knee him as she had threatened to do so just a few moments earlier.

"Let's start this conversation over," EJ suggested with a sexy drawl of his voice, one Sami wished she had never encountered seeing as how that sexy voice could sometimes make her do things she shouldn't do with him.

She wanted to answer, to tell him to go to hell and take the whore he had bedded along with him, but she couldn't find the words to form when she looked into those dark eyes of his that reflected the moonlight in them as he reached out to stroke her cheek. The mere touch of his finger causing her to lose her train of thought as it trailed down her cheek to her neck, then farther down to her shoulder until it reached the top of her robe and then traced the lace that covered the tops of her breasts from his view.

He let his gaze roam from her face to where his finger now resided just on the outskirts of touching her chest and she could feel her nipples hardening without him doing anything more to her.

She had to get away from him, he'd have her out of her nightgown and naked if he kept this up for long and by god she wasn't going to give into him not when he'd fucked Nicole. Thank goodness the image of him being with that whore sprung up in her mind bringing her back to the reason why she shouldn't have anything at all to do with him whatsoever.

EJ smiled in the darkness, why she still wanted him too, that much was apparent by her body's reaction to him, but then he saw her face harden once more, damn she was going to stop him again when he knew they both wanted this, wanted each other, despite all the bullshit that was happening all around them.

"Get the fuck away from me," she said in a low voice, this time she used her arms to try and push him back.

"Samantha, I want you," he said totally ignoring his pride and hoping she would quit denying what was between them.

"Too bad," she said, bracing against what she hoped would not be another onslaught of kisses or god forbid more from him, she could only hold him back for so long before her body completely betrayed her.

"You know that only I can make you feel this way," EJ said quietly, his breath hot in her ear as he whispered to her. "I'm the only one who will ever make you feel alive, the only one who can make you come so hard…"

"You keep telling yourself that and one day you might believe it," she said interrupting him before he could finish his sentence, finally ducking under his embrace, away from his sensuous all too knowing voice and those wicked hands that could make her come with the simplest of touches that he could somehow orchestrate.

"Darling, I know it for a fact," he said trying his best to hide the anguish in his voice over her slipping away from him once more, damn he wanted her with a fierceness that shook him to the core and yet once again she was pushing him away.

"Go to your whore, I'm sure she'll do whatever you like, however you want it, why I bet she'd even suck your d…" but he cut her off before she could say anymore. 

"I don't want her Samantha, I swear I don't," EJ said, grasping her hand and pulling him back towards him one more time.

"Maybe you should of thought about that before you knocked her up," Sami said wrenching her hand free and this time she ran from him not stopping until she was safely in her room locking her bedroom door securely behind her.

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 14_

She leaned back against the door after locking it and felt her legs tremble as she slid down the door to the floor hugging her knees tightly to her body when she reached the floor. How was she going to be able to deal with EJ day in and day out if he continued this perusal of her even when he knew that Nicole was pregnant? 

Then a hideous thought sprung up, what if Nicole was lying about everything? What if she wasn't pregnant at all? That this was all some hideous, horrible joke? Yes, Sami knew Nicole was determined to get EJ, but surely she wouldn't go so far as to lie about expecting a child to get him, could she?

The more Sami thought about it the sicker she felt, how could EJ just take Nicole's words as truth? Sami had to talk to him again, just to make him realize what a slick liar Nicole was, this baby nonsense she was spouting could be just that a tangled web on nonsensical lies Nicole was weaving to try and trap EJ into a relationship with her. Sami had seen Nicole in action time and time again when she wanted a man she pulled out all the stops.

A hope began to spring up inside of Sami, maybe if she could expose Nicole for the lying scheming bitch that she knew beyond a doubt that whore was then surely EJ would turn from her, banish that tramp from their lives. Now all she had to do was find a way to accomplish this goal. For the first time since she had heard the news of her own unexpected pregnancy, Sami felt a rush of hope come over her. Nicole wasn't going to trap EJ into a loveless marriage and drain him of fortune; Sami would make sure of it no matter what she had to do to find out the truth.

Nicole made it back to her hotel room, the limousine ride providing her little comfort the further it drove her away from EJ. Why hadn't he wanted her to spend the night with him? She should have been in his bed making love to him right now, but instead she was back at her lonely hotel room without the comfort of his touch, one she had craved since their tryst in the elevator.

She rubbed her slightly protruding stomach lovingly, "You are my ticket to happiness baby, and I'm going to have EJ along with all his money while Sami gets kicked to the curb where she belongs. She doesn't love your daddy the way I do."

She was restless and antsy, god she needed a drink she thought as just the thoughts of having one would help cure the loneliness she felt inside. Why surely one more wouldn't hurt, it would help ease her stress and tomorrow she would not drink another drop, but tonight without having EJ she needed something and that something was staring straight into her face from the wet bar she had in her room as she walked over to it and poured herself a liberal dose of scotch. As she lifted the glass to her lips, the smell was heavenly to her as she took a whiff of the amber liquid and then took a long drink from her glass, relishing the feeling the alcohol gave her as she finished it off within a few seconds and out of habit poured another one, not really thinking of harming the baby that was growing inside her, right now her only concern was to forget that she was once again alone.

EJ could have caught her before she ran away, but the truth of her words had struck him profoundly that he had hesitated and in that few moment's hesitation it was enough time elapsed to give Samantha the precious seconds she needed to make her escape from him. He reached her bedroom in time to hear the door clink in the unmistakable sound of being locked.

He stood there his body pressed up against the door; his hands pressed so hard against the wood that he was sure when he pulled back there would be indentations upon his palms. He tried to hear any sounds emitting from the door, from her bedroom, he wanted inside to the sanctity of her room, he knew Samantha drove him to extremes like what had driven him to push her tonight, to kiss her. The ache to claim her was so strong that he felt like he could break down the door with minimal effort.

He couldn't help himself from speaking into the door, "Samantha, please open the door."

She shook her head, instantly hearing him as soon as he had spoken the words from the other side of the door, a barrier she was thankful to have against him at the moment as she tried to stop her tears from flowing. She wasn't a weak woman, she didn't want him to know that she was crying over him, over this crazy situation they were facing and she hated keeping EJ in the dark about their baby.

She arose and pressed herself against the door, wishing she was pressed against EJ instead and forced the words she didn't want to say, "EJ, go away."

"I can't Samantha," he answered back, refusing to leave, why if he had to he would stay outside her door all night until she either let him in or morning light when she would make her way to the twins.

"EJ, please go," this time she used the word please; maybe he would get enough sense inside that thick skull of his and make his exit. She was exhausted and she needed time to map out her plan to expose Nicole.

He turned the knob, knowing that she hadn't unlocked the door, but all the while hoping she would give in to him just a little bit, he was too wound up to go to his room, he wouldn't be able to sleep, a cold shower wasn't going to abate his hunger for her, if he could just touch her again, speak sweetly to her, make her see that she wanted and needed him as much as he wanted her, all he needed was a few more minutes with her.

"I promise to be nice," EJ said hoping she would open the damn door, god this woman could be so infuriately stubborn that it only whetted his appetite for her all the more; couldn't she see what she did to him?

"You aren't a nice man," Sami replied to the door not being able to control her smile since it was apparent he wasn't going to go away like she asked him to do.

"I know, but I do try sometimes," EJ admitted honestly, thinking if anyone in the household caught him standing outside Samantha's door begging entrance would think he was crazy, but he was willing to risk the embarrassment if it meant she would let him into her room.

"EJ, it's late," Sami stated, thinking maybe she could appeal to him this way, anything to try and deter him from gaining entrance into her bedroom.

"I don't care how late it is, I need to talk with you Samantha," EJ said this time louder than he had been before with an emphasis on the word talk when he spoke.

"Just talk?" she asked, thinking it was highly doubtful that was all he wanted to do after the sizzling kiss he had bestowed upon her in the drawing room. 

"Yes, just talk," he answered thinking he would do more than that when he got into her room, he just needed a way in first and then maybe he could get her to see reason after he was in her bedroom.

"I think you are lying," she replied trying not to laugh, she needed to be stern, not playful with him if she ever wanted to get him to take her seriously concerning her doubts about Nicole.

"I never lie when it's important," EJ said trying to sound like he was sincere.

He heard the click of the door turning and was rewarded with the vision of her standing guard in her doorway when she finally opened the door to him, "EJ, don't even try to kid yourself, you are the biggest liar I know."

He tried to suppress his smile when he saw her standing there before him, still not letting him into his room, but at least she had opened the door to him and that was a start. "Now sweetheart I think we both know who the biggest liar is and it's not me."

"You're right it's Nicole," Sami said as she moved back to let him into her bedroom still not completely sure she was doing the right thing by letting him into her room, but willing to give him a chance to say what he needed to say to her, but that was all he was going to be able to do was talk to her, nothing else.

He didn't know what to say to her when she brought up the subject of Nicole, this was the one thing he wanted to avoid talking to her about, but he was desperate and desperate times called for desperate measures.

"I have a few conditions for you," Sami began before he could even say a word to her statement regarding Nicole.

"Such as?" he asked trying to gauge her mood moving closer to her after he had closed the door behind him and she had went to turn on the lamp at her bedside table and then sat primly upon her bed.

"No touching, only talking," Sami stated firmly as she held out her hand in protest in having him move any closer to her.

"Can I at least sit on the other side of the bed?" he asked thinking that after all it was a big bed so maybe she would allow him to sit down upon it with her. 

Sami contemplated his question to her in her mind for a few seconds, EJ really should sit in the chair far away from the bed, but then it would be difficult for her to see his facial expressions clearly and she really needed to examine his face while she brought up this theory she had about Nicole to him. 

He could see her debating with herself about his suggestion to sit on the bed with her while they talked and he prayed she would allow him to do so, he needed the leverage of being on the bed with her, maybe it would conjure up memories for her about the last time they were in this bed together when they had made love. He waited with bated breath for her answer.

"I guess so, but remember no touching or kissing or any kind of nonsense," Sami warned as EJ went to the other side of the bed and settled down on it, the weight of his body instantly displacing Sami when he sat down causing her to involuntarily shift toward him as she lost her balance since she was sitting so stiffly upon the bed while she had issued her conditions to him.

His hands went out and caught her before she fell full against him and he had to curb his laughter from erupting when he saw her eyes narrow at him, "Sorry, but I didn't want you to fall headfirst into me since that is one of the rules you just decreed to me."

Sami immediately pushed away from him, feeling the muscles in his arms when she braced against him to regain her balance, "EJ I am warning you."

"I'll consider myself warned," EJ shook his head trying to look serious but he couldn't help the smile that escaped from him as he looked at her, god she was so beautiful he couldn't help himself from smiling at her. 

Damn him for smiling, Sami thought uncharitably as she scooted as far to the edge of her side of the bed as she possibly could and took a deep breath, she was not going to fall for that smile of his, she was going to make him see she was stronger than the devious charms of his wicked personality even if it killed her. She folded her arms against her chest, not realizing the action only made her chest even more enticing for him as he shook his head trying not to get sidetracked, he had said he had wanted to talk and now here was his chance, but he felt as tongue tied as if he was being called upon in class for an answer that he had no possible way of knowing.

"Okay talk, but I'm serious EJ, talking is all you are going to do and then you have to leave," Sami said matter of fact.

How could he form words when she looked so alluring? He took a deep breath hoping he could find the words to make her understand she was the one he wanted not Nicole and that fate would allow him the opportunity to tell her without her getting pissed off at him again.

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 15_

"So am I only going to be allowed a certain amount of time to talk until you decide to throw me out of your bedroom?" EJ asked trying to gauge how quickly he needed to launch into his plan to convince Samantha she was the woman for him instead of Nicole even if Nicole was pregnant with his child.

Sami looked over at the alarm clock on the nightstand by her bed thinking a time limit would be a good thing indeed to give EJ since that meant she could usher him out of her bedroom before she fell prey to his charms. "Fifteen minutes EJ."

"Sweetheart you of all people should know I'm not a minute man," he began to tease knowing that it would make her furious with him for bringing up their past romantic tryst, but he was helpless to refrain from doing so because he delighted in watching her fury at him grow whenever he teased her.

He was such a smartass, Sami thought seeing the mirth light up in his eyes over his latest comment to her, she wanted to knock that smirk off his face too. He was so damned cocky sometimes it wasn't even funny. She shouldn't have let him into her bedroom, not when it was becoming very apparent he was angling for a more intimate conversation than she was sure she could handle at the moment. Maybe it would be better to order him out of her room right now before he brought up other things; things that would make her forget her resolve to keep him away from her until she had a clearer plan of action on what to do.

"Just leave EJ," she said wishing she had a gun or something to wave at him to make him understand she was not in a playing mood with him, there definitely didn't need to be any kind of nonsense going on between them, especially not when there was so much at stake, even if he didn't have an inkling about it.

EJ shook his head at looked at the clock, "I'm not going anywhere just yet. If you are timing me, I still have fourteen minutes even if you took up one precious minute giving me the evil eye."

"I did no such thing," Sami argued even as her eyes narrowed at him even more.

"You keep arguing with me and I'm going to have to request more time from you Miss Keeper of the Rules," EJ said crossing his arms in front of himself as he leaned back against the headboard of her bed determined to do anything to prolong his stay with her. Then he wondered as he looked over to her over how could she sleep in the bed every night and not constantly be reminded of the night they spent in here together?

"I'm in charge here," Sami said firmly thinking he was doing his best to bait her into an argument calling her Miss Keeper of the Rules. He was such an infuriating man to say the least. 

EJ shifted a slight bit trying not to cross the invisible line down the middle Sami had seemed to draw when he had sat down upon the bed with her, his voice all sexy with innuendo, "I'm all for you taking charge Samantha. You can do whatever you want to do with me."

Suddenly unwanted visions appeared in Sami's head of her straddling EJ's well muscled body, her moist heat instantly wanting to seek out his overly endowed manhood to impale within her sheath of slick wetness knowing he could fully bring her to orgasm time and time again. She shook her head, determined to banish those traitorous thoughts he had somehow managed to conjure up with just a few simple words and an all too knowing look her way.

"Darling are you okay? You seem kind of distracted," EJ whispered as he leaned in closer to her, not touching her as she had warned him not to do, but close enough for her to feel his warm breath breeze across her shoulder as he asked her the question.

She had to get him to leave her room, she was such an idiot to think he wouldn't do whatever it took to get her in bed, why he was such a cad, she bet he was playing these same kind of games with Nicole too.

"Time's up," Sami declared trying to get away from his overpowering presence before she did something she would regret again and then she almost burst out with a self deprecating laugh when she realized at least she couldn't get pregnant.

EJ shook his head finally leaning across her to pick up her alarm clock, "No, I've got at least ten more minutes with you."

"Give me the clock," Sami ordered reaching for the clock before even thinking that in doing so she would touch him.

EJ held the alarm clock out of her reach, high above her head as her body inadvertently came into contact with his, her softness meshing with the harder planes of his body instantly causing them both to draw a sharp intake of breath.

EJ tossed the alarm clock across the room, ripping the cord from the outlet as it hit the wall. Thank goodness he had closed the door when he had come into her bedroom because he was about to lose any semblance of control he had in just a few short minutes as he felt her start to squirm her body in a feeble attempt to get away from him. 

EJ stretched his long length out over her, looking down into those beautiful blue eyes of hers, as a tremulous silence hung in the air between them that was rife with the undercurrent of sexual arousal between them. He saw her trying to battle with herself as he caught her confused and frightened glance she gave him as he lowered his arms and started to settle his body into a more comfortable position.

"E-EJ," she stuttered out his name all the while shaking her head in protest, "no, you have to stop, let me up…"

"Samantha please, I'm dying without you, I need you so badly," EJ spoke with a quiet desperation within his voice.

She had to make him move, she was surprised that he hadn't already discovered what she was trying to keep secret from him, about the life they had made together in this bed. The fear of him finding out this way without her telling him the truth was terrifying, EJ would hate her and never trust her ever again.

"EJ please, I-I can't…"

"Shhh, don't talk, just feel," EJ whispered praying that she wouldn't stop him, he was trying his best to be honest with her, but with her so close to him it was driving him crazy not to touch her.

He slowly slipped one silken strap of her gown down her shoulder, exposing one of her breasts to his gaze, his smile of satisfaction growing when the nipple instantly puckered up of its own volition. Sami closed her eyes wanting nothing more than to get lost in the magic that she and EJ created with one another, she wanted EJ with a fierceness that defied all logic too, but he had to know the truth first and she just wasn't ready to tell him yet. He had too much to deal with without her adding to his problems, the main one being Nicole.

Just thinking of Nicole brought Sami back to her senses; she couldn't give into the needs of her body because if for nothing else she had to make EJ see that she wasn't like Nicole in the least. With a supreme effort she found somewhere deep within herself she pushed up against him catching him off guard and using all her strength to roll him off her, pushing his body onto the floor beside her bed. 

EJ was caught by surprise as his body hit the floor with a resounding thud, Sami was so tiny and petite against him that he sometimes forgot how powerful she could be when she was determined to get her own way, which apparently he needed reminding of tonight. He should of listened to her when she was trying to tell him no and he felt ashamed of himself as she set up tugging on the strap of her nightgown that he had pulled down just a few moments earlier.

"EJ I'm sorry, I just had to…had to…" she struggled to find the words to make him understand, but she just couldn't tell him the truth about the baby, not yet. She desperately needed more time and then she looked at him sprawled out on the floor and she was filled with remorse. "Are you okay EJ. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"You don't have to apologize Samantha, I understand completely," EJ said slowly sitting up from where he had fallen on the floor beside Samantha's bed. "I'm the one who should be apologizing to you instead."

"Why?" Sami asked feeling more confused than before.

"You said no, I should have listened to you." EJ stated managing to get up from the floor without any help from Sami. "It's clear that you don't want me and I won't force myself on you ever again."

"EJ, it's not that…"

"I apologize again," EJ interrupted Sami before she could explain her reasoning for kicking him out of her bed as he turned to leave her bedroom, softly closing the door behind him as he left to go back to his bedroom.

Sami sat there in disbelief watching him go, hating that EJ believed that she thought he was forcing himself upon her and that was the reason she had pushed him off of her onto the floor. She wanted to run after him and tell him he had it all wrong, she was the one at fault with her fears about the baby, but she just couldn't make herself get up out of her bed to follow him down the hallway. Instead she curled up into a tight ball on the bed with her pillow, weeping as she thought she had just managed to drive a wedge between them further instead of bringing them together like she had so hoped to do before she had found out that Nicole was pregnant too.


	4. Chapter 4

_Whisper_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Days of our Lives or the characters._

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 16_

EJ's steps were slow and leaden as he made his way back to his bedroom. He had so misread Samantha's body language in her bedroom. He mentally chastised himself after he flung his body onto his bed, not finding any kind of comfortable position no matter which way he turned.

They had been so close and then it had been like a light switch, Samantha had stiffened up in his arms and she hadn't wanted anything more to do with him. He was such an idiot thinking she wanted him like he wanted her, and that had never been the case, even the night they had made love with one another.

Of course he had been cheated of the luxury of spending the entire night with her when Lucas had made his presence known to them both that night. EJ inwardly fumed thinking even today when Samantha had been taken to the hospital; it had been Lucas who had been by her side, not him. Samantha never wanted or needed him, why did he keep trying to convince himself that she ever would want him in her life beyond being Johnny's father?

Why couldn't he just turn off his feelings for her, like she could with him? He had never been in love before Samantha, known the euphoric feeling that being around someone you cared about could bring about in his being before he had met her, the irresistible, interesting and totally captivating woman she embodied. Why couldn't he just stop, pull away from the draw he always felt whenever she was near?

He turned over, punching his pillow and cursing that his body wouldn't listen to his mind, knowing full well he wasn't going to get any satisfaction from the ever growing need he felt for Samantha. Even now after exiling himself from her bedroom he still wanted nothing more than to make love to her. He was going to go crazy if he didn't give up this obsession he had with her. She had made it very clear that she didn't want him tonight.

Or had she? He hadn't given her a chance to explain her reasoning behind tossing his arse into the floor, that little spitfire kept him guessing all the time, waxing hot one minute, then ice cold the next so fast it made his head spin. He sat up wanting to go back to her room, but he had told her wouldn't force himself upon her again and he had meant it.

What in the hell was he going to do? He had one woman pregnant and practically begging to be with him and he didn't want her at all and another woman pushing and shoving him away with each and every turn she made and this was the woman he wanted to be with, the one who obviously didn't want to be with him. Was he completely nuts? He could hear his father's words ringing in his head about family pride and never begging anyone for anything. DiMera's did not beg or plead for anything they took what they wanted.

Damn his father and his heritage, right now they were just another wall for him to scale to get to the fortress Samantha had erected around herself, to protect herself from all things DiMera, apparently himself included. He thought when Samantha had said the slate was clean between them, he had thought she had meant it, but apparently she still harbored a fear of him that no amount of time could erase.

Sami couldn't sleep, her head hurt terribly now that her tears were spent, crying for almost the better part of an hour after EJ had left her room. The feeling of bereavement upon his departure from her bedroom growing with each passing minute and it only made a new batch of tears fall from her eyes when she thought she didn't have any more tears to shed.

It was wrong of her to let EJ believe she thought he was trying to force himself upon her. While it had made her an easy out not to tell him the truth, the more she thought about it the guiltier she felt. She had told Lucas earlier in the garden she hadn't wanted to compound the problems EJ was facing and what had she done tonight? Why she had made him believe a lie of proportions that she had promised would be completely forgotten between them.

She got up from her bed and made her way to the adjoining bathroom, switching on the light and wincing when she saw her face, it was all red and blotchy from crying. "I look terrible," she commented aloud to her visage in the mirror as she turned on the water in the faucet, cupping her hands to get some of the cold liquid to splash upon her face. 

She then took her hair brush, brushing her hair in hopes of untangling the mess it had become during her crying spell. Looking up, she saw it hadn't done much good, but at least she looked a little bit better than when she had entered the bathroom.

She looked in the medicine cabinet hoping to find some Tylenol there knowing it was one of the few things she could safely take while being pregnant, but of course there was none to be found. She closed the cabinet and reopened it again thinking that somehow she had managed to overlook it, although there wasn't any in there this go round either.

She shook her head; only making it hurt worse thinking that maybe her headache would go away soon. She shut the cabinet again and went back into her bedroom, finally noticing the alarm clock on the floor where EJ had flung it away from the nightstand when he had been in her bedroom. She went over to pick the clock up, if for nothing else than to have something to do.

She plugged back in the clock, but it must have broken when EJ threw it against the wall. What a mess, here she was obsessing about a clock when she needed to go come clean with EJ about everything.

She spied the telephone in her room and thought about calling the one person who could help her find a way out of this mess she had unwittingly found herself in. Picking up the phone, she punched in the telephone number she knew by heart and hoped he was someplace where he could retrieve her call.

It rang a few rings and Sami was about to give up when she heard his voice answer the phone.

"Hello?" his voice was uncertain as to who the caller was when she didn't instantly say who she was and then she realized that the telephone number for the mansion was a private line.

"Eric," was all she said before she started crying again just from hearing the sound of his voice.

"Sami, what's going on?" The concern in his voice immediately evident when he realized it was his twin on the phone.

"Oh Eric, I'm in trouble," Sami began and then her sobs overtook her to the point where she couldn't relay to him the how's or why she considered herself to be in trouble.

"Calm down, take a few deep breaths and just tell me what has got you so upset," Eric tried to calm his sister down as best as he could hating the fact that she must really need to talk to him by calling so late or rather early in the morning Salem time wise as he mentally calculated the time difference in his head.

"I can't, the phone might be tapped," Sami said thinking if Stefano found out she was pregnant it would be even more dangerous for her baby and she had to protect this child with everything that she possibly could to keep he or she from Stefano's clutches.

"Sami, where are you? The number didn't come up on my phone. I almost didn't answer it," Eric said trying to figure out exactly where his sister could be located.

"The DiMera mansion," Sami said instantly regretting her answer when she realized the slip she had made. She hadn't told Eric she was still living in the mansion after her divorce from EJ had been finalized.

"What in the hell are you still doing there?" Eric asked and then before Sami could answer he began again, "Don't worry, I'm coming there."

"You're coming to Salem? I thought you swore you wouldn't ever set foot back in this town ever again," Sami mimicked Eric's voice reiterating his vow never to come back to the town he said he hated.

"I'll be there as soon as I possibly can, something must be bad or you wouldn't be calling me crying and then refusing to tell me why," Eric said wishing his connection to his twin was stronger but they had been apart for such a long time. He didn't have anyone to blame but himself for the fact seeing as how he hadn't made time for any of his family beyond the necessary phone calls he forced himself to make from time to time.

"Eric, you don't have to come here," Sami stated even though she wanted nothing more than to have her twin with her. Eric could help her figure out what she needed to do. 

"Hush, I'll be there soon," Eric said telling her goodnight before she could protest again. He sighed after hanging up the phone thinking he hoped he didn't regret coming back to Salem, but his twin sister needed him and it was past time he made peace with his past that he had left behind when he took his leave of Salem all those years ago. 

Sami felt a calmness come over her with Eric's declaration that he would be back in Salem. She needed him; he would help her chose the correct path to take concerning her future. Her hand instantly went to her stomach, rubbing her tiny bump and she said, "Everything is going to be fine, your Uncle Eric is coming." 

While she knew Eric could help her sort out things more clearly, there was something she needed to do right now or she knew she would never get any sleep before morning's light. She went to her closet, pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt quickly donning them after tossing off her nightgown and headed down the hallway.

She stopped at his bedroom door, thinking he probably was fast asleep and she almost went back to her room without knocking on the door when suddenly it opened before her and she stumbled into EJ's bedroom.

EJ was startled to say the least when he opened his bedroom door, deciding since sleep tonight was obviously going to allude him he would go make himself a drink to calm his frazzled nerves. He certainly hadn't expected Samantha to be standing outside his doorway.

He caught her before she fell to the floor, righting herself up before carefully stepping back to what he hoped would be considered a respectful distance away from her. "Samantha, what are you doing here?"

"EJ, before I was…" she faltered as she looked into his eyes, they were full of hurt when he looked at her and it made her feel even worse realizing she was the one who had placed that hurt there.

"Samantha you don't have to explain, I understand you still think I'm the man who hurt you so badly before, I shouldn't have tried to be so, so…"

"EJ, I can't have you believing that I'm scared of you, it isn't that at all, I've just had a bad day…"

EJ eyed her cautiously, he wanted to believe her, but if she wasn't scared of his touch then why would she pull away? He wanted to ask her, but a part of him was afraid of her answer. What could be so bad that she didn't want him to touch her?

"Would you like to sit down?" EJ asked as she tried to put into words what she wanted to say to him.

"I can't sleep," she announced, not sitting down even though she still didn't go into why she had come to his bedroom, something she had never done before tonight.

"I can't either," EJ said, "that is why I was going to get myself a drink thinking it might help me go to sleep. Would you like one?"

"No," she said quickly wishing she could have a drink, maybe it would give her a shot of liquid courage, but she wouldn't ever do anything to harm their baby.

"Okay," EJ looked at her curiously, "Samantha is this because of what you found out at the hospital earlier today?"

She could tell him right now, but she couldn't form the words, she fidgeted wishing that she wasn't such a coward. Instead she tried another option, "EJ, will you do me a favor?"

Samantha asking him for favors was very few and far between and usually they entailed some enormous amount of sacrifice on his part, but he knew he would do anything he possibly could for this woman even when most times he didn't see much reward for his efforts from her at all.

"What is it Samantha?" He asked, thinking something must be terribly wrong with her physically for her to come into his bedroom especially at this time of night even if neither one of them had gotten a wink of sleep so far tonight.

"Can I just lie down beside you? I mean not in a sexual way, it's just that…" she shook her head thinking she must sound like a complete idiot. "Oh just forget it, I'm being silly."

"No, you can," EJ said, not understanding the how or why Samantha wanted to lie down with him, but he could withstand his urges to do anything more than be there for her as a friend if that was all that she wanted from him.

"Are you sure? I just have so many things going on in my mind and I thought if I could just lie down with you that maybe I could finally get some rest. I'm so tired," she said blinking her eyes praying she wouldn't start crying again. She really was going to have to get her pregnancy hormones reigned in before she became a complete waterworks set again right in front of him.

"Okay," EJ nodded going to shut the bedroom door and then turned right back to her side, tentatively leading her to his bed as he turned down the covers for her to get in.

"Thank you," Sami said in a quiet voice when EJ lay down beside her after settling into the bed after turning out the light beside his bed, careful to not touch her, letting her dictate what if anything she might allow him to do.

"You're welcome," EJ said as Sami snuggled against him slightly with her backside to him. It only took a few minutes for her to fall asleep, her body and mind tired beyond belief and EJ felt her body relax into a deep sleep even though he stayed awake, wondering why she had decided to come to him. He looked at her face while she slept his fingers aching to touch the contours of her face, but he refrained from doing so, he didn't understand her at all, this angelic looking being who at times was more like a hellcat than an angel, but he loved all the same and eventually he fell asleep too, his body sheltering hers as they finally were able to spend the night together in the same bed uninterrupted for the first time ever.

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 17_

_Author's note: I have changed who killed Trent in my story. I couldn't have Nick going down for killing that scum. I think with this chapter unfolding you can see how crazy Nicole is slowly becoming with each passing day. _

_Slight warning with this new addition, strong language and a hint of something more risqué, now on with the story…_

Nicole awoke with a hangover the likes of which she hadn't felt in quite some time and that was saying a lot seeing as how she and hangovers mostly went hand in hand with one another. She groaned as she looked down at herself, still dressed in last night's clothes, badly wrinkled from having slept in them sometime during the night after she had consumed almost an entire bottle of scotch.

She managed to drag herself out of her bed, scowling as she staggered into the bathroom, barely managing to make it in time before she began throwing up. She heaved and hurled for what seemed like an eternity, although in reality it was only a few minutes span of time. 

With her entire body shaking, she grasped the edge of the sink, bringing herself upright from her former position on the floor by the toilet, hoping that she was finished vomiting. Her tongue was thick, she had a splitting headache and as she looked at her image in the mirror, it appeared worn and haggard.

"Ugh! I hate being pregnant!" she stated grumpily into the mirror, her frown deepening on her face, making unwanted lines appear on her forehead. She attempted to rinse out her mouth with a swig of mouthwash, instantly grimacing when she felt the bile arise again within her as she struggled not to throw up again.

Luckily she fought off the nausea and weakly started the water running for a much needed shower; she had a lot to do today, mainly convincing EJ that she belonged at the mansion with him, especially since she was carrying his child. She prayed Sami hadn't revealed anything to him about being pregnant too. She wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell with EJ if he knew Sami was also pregnant by him. 

Her hatred for Sami arose anew; it just wasn't fair that she was pregnant too. She scoffed as she thought back to when she had eavesdropped on Sami crying on Lucas' shoulder saying she didn't want to burden EJ. What a crock, Sami Brady was a burden to anyone she came into contact with, Nicole couldn't fathom what EJ saw in that pathetic bitch.

One thing was for sure though, if Sami had hesitations about telling EJ the truth, it was a sure sign from up above that she needed to step up her game with EJ. Sami's hesitance was something Nicole could certainly use in her favor. Why Sami had almost crumbled to the floor right before her eyes when she had announced her pregnancy last night at the DiMera mansion. That was a sight she would savor for quite some time to come and could only hope to bring more misery to Sami's life in the near future.

This whole pregnancy thing was definitely not something she was looking forward to enduring even if she had to keep her mind on the ultimate prize, sexy EJ and all that lovely DiMera fortune he had access to by being Stefano's favorite son. She tried to not think about gaining weight, stretch marks that would ultimately mar her body, she eyed her body skeptically, and the only evidence of her pregnancy that actually existed was a tiny bulge which was barely perceptible unless she was naked. She frowned again, why even her boobs hadn't grown any yet, at least if she was going to have to be knocked up, why couldn't the girls get a little bit of meat on them?

Thinking once more that she should have gotten a boob job before her finances had gotten tied up with this mess from Victor, she unsteadily walked into the shower, letting the water hit her in the face, hoping that she would get to feeling better. She hadn't let EJ know she was almost broke after losing the settlement money she had gained from the divorce from Victor. For what seemed like the millionth time she wished she had killed the old bastard Kiriakis when she'd had the chance.

That son of a bitch Trent had ruined everything for her. At least she had gotten her revenge on him as she recalled the night she had plunged the knife repeatedly into his back, relishing the fact that she had shut him up once and for all. Why the look of shock upon his face as he fell to the ground made her giggle uncontrollably while she took her shower. Trent had gotten what he had so richly deserved and if Caroline Brady took the fall for his murder instead of her, than that made it all the better since it would make Sami upset thinking her grandmother would rot in jail for killing Trent.

Making Sami suffer was going to the top of her priority list. No fucking way was Sami going to get EJ away from her, not while she had breath left in her body.

Rolf heard the twin's cry out on the monitor that he had located in the kitchen while he was in the process of making breakfast, he paused for a minute thinking that either EJ or Samantha would quickly attend to them, but it sounded like neither one of them had heard the twins crying as he strained to hear the sound of either of their voices trying to comfort the babies.

With a concerned look up his face, Rolf quickly threw down the dish cloth in his hand and headed up the stairs, to attend to the twins, wondering all the while where EJ and Samantha could be if they were not with their children. 

"Es ist okay, nicht weinen, süße kinder," Rolf spoke in his native tongue to the twins who instantly stopped their crying when they saw his face, both reaching out for him to pick them up. With a smile that was rarely given to many outside of the twins and Miss Samantha, Rolf easily managed to get them both in his arms, humming a tune under his breath while he began to make his way back downstairs with both of them thinking it would be fun for the twins to help him make breakfast for the entire household.

_She could feel his hands upon her flesh, burning trails of fire wherever he touched her, caressing her lovingly as they slowly slid down her barely clothed body until they came to rest upon her stomach. Then stopping there, his hands rested reverently not moving as he whispered in her ear, "I love you so much Samantha. I can't wait until our baby is born."_

__

_She smiled a smile of wonder and pure joy, delighting in the knowledge that their family was growing as surely as their love continued to blossom. She reached behind, her hand going to his head, wanting to run her fingers through his hair as she closed her eyes, needing a more intimate touch from him as his hands started moving lower gravitating toward the place that was already slick with desire for him as he pushed away the skimpy lace panties she wore._

__

_"Yes, that's it," she murmured her approval when his fingers started to lightly stroke her, causing her open up like a tropical flower under his magical touch._

__

_"Do you like that sweetheart?" he asked, his voice low and sexy as he began to make a bolder statement with those wondrous hands, causing her to try to move away, but he held her close, wanting to bring her pleasure from this simplest of touches from him._

__

_"I want more," she requested breathlessly as he picked up his tempo and she arched her back into him, relishing the feel of his strong chest while he held her close.__  
><em> 

___"You do?" he asked knowing she was close as her breathing started to hitch and she ground against his hand._

__

_"Yes, I do," she answered in a keening wail, shaking as she turned to face him, seeking out his lips, claiming them in a deep kiss, their tongues melding as she molded into his body._

Sami thought she heard the twins, but she must have imagined it as their crying seemed to stop. Once again being drawn back in for another kiss as she moved in closer and then her eyes popped wide open. She tried to focus on her surroundings, the room she was in, the man she was kissing.

Oh my god, she was kissing EJ and apparently he was kissing her back as she started to pull back away from him. What was she thinking? All she had asked him for last night was a chance to get some rest, not this, but her dreams had overtaken her good senses, there was no telling what EJ thought about her now.

"Don't go," he said dreamily, pulling her even closer so that she couldn't make a hasty escape as he started to kiss her again.

She forced herself to extricate her mouth from his even though she was enjoying it far too much, her body not wanting to go as she said sharply, "EJ wake up!"

He shook his head as he opened his eyes, seeing Samantha lying beside him in his bed. Wait a minute, she was in his bed? Then slowly reality hit him as he remembered Samantha coming to his room last night, asking to sleep with him, only sleep and here he was mauling her in his sleep, but it had seemed so real when he had felt her lips touch his. No he hadn't imagined that, she had kissed him and now she seemed angry at him about it.

"Samantha, I uh…" was all he managed to say, not really knowing what had come over him, but when he had felt her sweet lips upon his he'd wanted to stay like that forever, in bed with her, this was how it should be between them waking up in the morning.

Well almost how it should be with the exception of Samantha trying to scoot away from him as quickly as she possibly could move.

"EJ, I'm sorry I was dreaming and somehow I…you…" her face in a slight shade of pink that was most becoming on her. "I have to go check on the twins." She hurriedly pushed herself off his bed with a lightning speed of a gazelle and she was gone before he could say another word to her.

"Good morning to you too my dear," EJ muttered as he leaned back against the pillows knowing he was starting off the day in a bad condition, thinking he would have to stand under the cold spray of the shower forever to rid himself of the state of arousal he was already in from her. That bewitching woman was going to be the death of him for sure.

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 18_

~~~~~~~~~~ 

EJ had only the cold water in the shower turned on full blast, not a drop of warm water added in the mix and the almost icy feeling droplets hit his body making him shiver from the temperature he had chosen. He hoped this would remedy what he was starting to refer to as his Samantha Situation. If he didn't get some kind of relief soon he was going to explode literally and he just hoped it wasn't going to be an embarrassing predicament when it eventually happened.

Sami rushed out of EJ's bedroom so fast it was almost like she was leaving tracks in her wake. She couldn't think straight being in his bed, kissing him, hearing that sexy voice begging her not to go. Was she a complete idiot? EJ wasn't stupid, he was sure to figure out her condition before long, there were only so many baggy and loose clothes she could wear since her current wardrobe basically consisted of more form fitting clothes.

Well at least she now knew the reason why some of her favorite outfits had seemed a little snug lately. Why she hadn't contributed her being late on her period to the tighter fitting clothes had been something she had chosen to ignore, especially since she was not one to have a regular menstrual cycle anyway. She had attributed it to stress, since her life was one roller coaster event after another.

Between EJ and Lucas this past summer and her indecision to make her mind up about each man it had proven to have disastrous results for them all. Now Lucas was shacked up with Chloe at the Horton Cabin and Nicole was having EJ's baby. Sami frowned as she added of course she was having EJ's baby too, the man had some powerful sperm to be sure. One Shot EJ immediately came to mind as she tried to suppress the urge to laugh over a situation that didn't hold much humor for her since she was one of his recipients.

She would love comment to EJ about that as he seemed to enjoy coming up with various nicknames for her. If he kept it up she was going to come up with some of her own inventive creations very soon. She broke into a wicked smile thinking of how she would like giving him a taste of his own medicine and then she frowned knowing if she were really smart she would stay away from him, the more she was around him, the more likely he was going to put two and two together and realize her condition.

Thinking she better go check on the twins since it was getting late in the morning she went to their room only to find it empty. A sudden sickness hit her thinking where could her babies be? Instantly she began to worry about them, they should be in their room; neither she nor EJ had them. What if Stefano had taken them? Sami had felt uneasy ever since Stefano had returned to the mansion; even the presence of John living here did little to relieve her anxiety over having that monster Stefano residing in the mansion.

She looked all around the room, calling for them in case they were playing hide and seek a new game they liked to play with one another since they had begun walking. They were getting to be quite a handful trying to keep up with them and now Sami knew she would be adding another sibling for them to play with before long and she wondered how should would be able to run after all of them, especially since the twin's personalities were coming to life more with each passing day.

Both Johnny and Allie were going to be strong willed children, neither one of them showing much fear of anything beyond the night terrors that poor Allie seemed to possess. One of the main reasons Sami had been so adamant about Allie not going to spend the night with Lucas. She could only imagine how inept Chloe would be trying to soothe her daughter if she experienced one while she was staying overnight with Lucas and it made her mad all over again that she didn't have full custody of her daughter. No one seemed to realize or care she was the only one who could calm Allie down when they occurred.

Well EJ had been able to calm Allie down, Sami had to grudgingly admit, but she was better at it than him. EJ had a way with the children, so it was no wonder Allie called him daddy also, even though Lucas had become angry when he realized Allie thought of EJ as her daddy.

Thinking of how much EJ and Lucas despised one another was also a big problem she still had to try and find some kind of answer to before the new baby came into the world, Sami didn't want the children to realize how badly EJ and Lucas didn't like one another but she thought the twins were becoming old enough to sense something wasn't right between all of them.

She didn't want to resent Lucas for gaining partial custody of Allie; he was helping her by keeping her secret about the pregnancy, but what if he blabbed the information to Chloe? That woman was an idiot and her choosing to be Nicole's new best friend only reaffirmed that fact. Why in the world would Chloe ever want to be Nicole's friend? Sami only wished that Belle were here in Salem, she needed her sister, but at least she was comforted with the knowledge at least Eric would be here soon.

She at least wasn't desperate enough to want Carrie in Salem even if it would bring Will back home. Sami could only imagine how Carrie and Austin would laugh if they knew what was going on with her right now. Both no doubt would think she deserved whatever she got coming to her. Sami shook her head, she needed to quit thinking of all the people that hated her, the list was a long one indeed, instead she needed to find out where her children were. 

Then a terrible thought occurred to her. What if Stefano had taken the twins sometime during the night after she and EJ had fallen asleep? She started to panic when neither Johnny nor Allie answered her calls for them and she couldn't find them anywhere in the nursery. Granted it was a huge room with several rooms off to the side of them and after Sami had checked every door adjoining their room along with even looking under their beds she had turned up empty in trying to find them.

Panic hit her, she bet Stefano had Johnny and Allie and a fear arose in her that was terrifying. She ran back to EJ's room as fast as her legs could take her, he had to help her find their children. 

Sami made it to EJ's room quickly, and to her disappointment he was nowhere in sight. She thought if she weren't looking for him he would be right in her face, making her uncomfortable like he always seemed to be able to do when she was trying to hide from him.

"EJ!" Sami called out rushing into his room like a woman possessed. Her fears that Stefano had done something to her babies consuming her to the point of making her not think rationally as she looked for EJ. She ran into his bathroom without a second thought searching for him.

She found him in the shower and pulled back the door without a second's hesitation, her mindset only on getting him to help her find the twins. The icy water instantly spraying her as she wrenched open the glass door to his shower as EJ gave her an incredulous look.

"Samantha, what in the world are you doing in here?" EJ asked stunned that she would venture into his bathroom especially when he was taking a shower.

"EJ, I need you!" was all she said giving EJ the wrong impression immediately as he didn't comprehend why she had flung the door open to his shower in her search for him.

"Right now?" EJ asked thinking maybe the cold shower hadn't been a good idea as the goose bumps covered his body along with the air of the room when Samantha had opened the door to his shower. He had finally gotten his hard on to go away and now here she was back telling him that she needed him. Damn it, would this woman ever make up her mind about him?

Sami looked at EJ giving him a look like he was a total moron, "Oh get over yourself EJ, I'm not here to get into the shower with you."

"Thanks for clarifying that," EJ said sarcastically turning off the water as Sami eyed him impatiently, tapping her foot as she wiped off the spray of water that had hit her face when she had opened the door to the shower. "Do you mind handing me a towel or would you rather I just be naked while I try to figure out what you need me for now?"

"Oh, yeah right," Sami said getting an eyeful of a wet naked EJ standing there, her mind instantly thinking even flaccid he was still huge as a blush started to form on her face.

"Samantha, a towel please," EJ requested when she hesitated a moment longer while she was looking at him, she quickly reached for a towel tossing it to him before she got wrapped up in thinking other things about him being naked before her.

"Thank you," EJ said taking it and wrapping it around his waist, not drying off his body any since Samantha appeared to be worried about something.

"Hurry up," Sami ordered stalking out of EJ's bathroom and going into his bedroom, making sure to keep her back to him while he followed behind her.

"Samantha, what has gotten into you?" EJ asked reaching out to turn her to face him.

"I can't find the twins," Sami said as she started to pace nervously in a circle around EJ. 

"What do you mean you can't find the twins?" EJ asked putting a hand out to stop her pacing, making her look at him.

"I can't find them EJ, how hard is that for you to comprehend?" Sami asked the irritation growing in her voice as she spoke to him.

"They are not in the nursery?"

"If they were, do you think I would be in here telling you I can't find them?"

"Maybe John or Rolf has them," EJ suggested trying to get her to calm down.

"What if your father has them?" Sami asked as her panic was starting to get the best of her.

"Father won't hurt them," EJ tried to reassure Sami only to get a snort of disbelief from her.

"You're crazy if you believe that Stefano wouldn't hurt them," Sami stated with a certainly resounding in her voice.

"Let's not panic," EJ laid a hand upon her shoulder, the wetness from his hand making a wet spot upon her sweatshirt when he touched her. "I'll just put on some clothes and we'll look all over the mansion for them. They could have just crawled or walked out of the room darling."

"Don't darling me," Sami shrugged his hand off her shoulder. Why EJ couldn't see that Stefano was a threat to his children was a point of contention between them. Why Sami didn't trust Stefano as far as she could bodily pick up the man and throw him across the room although there had been times when he had made her angry enough it might have been possible for her to accomplish that feat of strength.

"Okay, I'll go in my towel, or would you rather me parade around the mansion naked?" EJ asked not seeing why Samantha was so upset; her mood swings were really making him feel like he was on a crazy merry go round with her.

"Get on some clothes," Sami said impatiently, "but hurry."

"Yes mam'," EJ said dropping the towel right in front of her as he walked across the room naked, shaking his head while he reached into the bureau to find some boxers, stepping into them while Sami tried not to look his way, but the temptation to stare at him while he dressed was very hard to ignore.

"You don't have to primp," Sami reminded EJ after he had put on some jeans and was reaching for a polo shirt from within his closet to wear.

"Samantha, calm down, I'm ready," EJ said pulling the shirt over his head, the material only emphasizing the muscles he had, not hiding them.

"Finally," she said, taking off ahead of him while she tried not to think of how good he looked no matter what he wore. It just wasn't fair that EJ looked a male model.

"Slow down," EJ said reaching out to her before Sami reached the stairs; it would do no good if she tripped and fell in her haste to find Allie and Johnny.

"You think I'm crazy, don't you?" Sami turned her eyes wide with fear that EJ was starting to see as he looked in her eyes.

EJ took her into his arms before he thought better of it, bringing a hand up to stroke her back as he tried to comfort her, "While you certainly drive me crazy on numerous occasions, no, I don't think you are crazy."

Sami looked up at him, wishing things were different between them and knowing it was her fault if only she had been honest with him this past summer about her feelings for him that they would be together right now. Maybe after they found the twins she would tell him the truth, Nicole being pregnant be damned, EJ did deserve to know that she was carrying his child.

"Please help me find Allie and Johnny and then afterward we need to have a long talk," Sami said, leaning up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek before she moved away from his comforting embrace and started down the stairs.

"Okay," EJ agreed, trying once more to figure her out as he followed behind her.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to face one another, "I'll go check with Rolf, you check with John."

"All right," Sami nodded her head, hoping that her fears about Stefano would prove unfounded as they parted ways.

Sami went to the north wing of the mansion, heading straight for John's study he had chosen for his own as she went to knock on the door.

John heard the urgent tapping on his study door, wondering who needed to see him at such an early hour in the morning since it was not even time for breakfast to be served yet. He opened the door to be greeted by a worried look from his step daughter Samantha.

"John, have you seen the twins?" Sami asked as her eyes darted around his room in hopes that they might be in there with him.

"No, why do you ask?" John eyed her carefully; something had shaken up Samantha to the point where she was almost in a full blown panic.

"I went to their room and I couldn't find them," Sami answered running her hands through her hair before nervously wringing her hands.

"Those kiddies have a night out on the town without telling you?" John tried to joke with Sami with his very dry sense of humor, but it was lost upon her as she cast him a fearful glance.

"John, I have this fear that Stefano has taken them."

"Stefano wouldn't dare take them," John tried to reassure her, his voice firm with authority. 

"Wouldn't he? That man has done more harm to my family than I care to admit and now with him living back here I'm terrified of what he might do to my children," Sami said tearfully, her concerns only compounding with the news that she was yet again going to bring another DiMera heir into the world.

"I can't make him leave," John said regretfully, "although I am working on trying to get him out of the mansion. The lawyers are making things difficult with both Stefano and I being dead set on controlling the DiMera Empire."

"Maybe I should leave," Sami blurted out and then she shook her head, "but EJ would never allow me to leave with Johnny, he's told me in no uncertain terms that he would do anything to keep his son with him."

"Has EJ threatened you?" John asked, moving over to where Sami sat in one of the wing backed chairs in the room.

Sami shook her head, "No more than I have threatened him, but I don't know how I will be able to handle Nicole having his child. I hate that woman even more than I hate Kate Roberts!"

"Nicole isn't that bad," John started only to be silenced by the wrathful stare that Sami gave him.

"She's worse than bad John, the woman is a menace to society, so please don't be fooled by her too. I need you on my side," Sami said hoping that John wouldn't be nice to her enemy like so many of the citizens of Salem had seemed to fallen prey to her wicked charms, especially EJ being one of them.

"Okay, I'll take what you say into very serious consideration," John said, raising up Sami's chin with his fingertips. "But don't you think if Nicole thought that I was her friend that I could perhaps find out important information for you?"

Sami smiled instantly liking how John's mind worked now, "Well it might work, if Nicole doesn't realize what you are trying to do."

"Have no fear, that girl is no match for me," John said confidentially.

"Thanks John," Sami said grateful that at least John wasn't a member of the Nicole Walker fan club.

"Let's go see if we can find those rug rats," John said leading Sami out of the study as they made their way to the center of the mansion.

EJ went to the kitchen to be greeted with a sight that made him laugh aloud, both twins in matching chef hats and tiny aprons following Rolf around the room while he cooked breakfast.

"Now kinder, we need to stir our culinary creations," Rolf instructed seriously as he whipped up a concoction in the bowl on the kitchen counter while both Allie and Johnny plopped themselves on the floor at his feet, their wooden spoons in their hands as they joyfully began to hit the pans Rolf had given them.

The noise they were creating made EJ smile, Rolf had a way with the twins that most people would not believe unless they saw the proof for themselves. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad to know he had found them and that Sami's fear that his father had taken them not coming to fruition.

"There you are," EJ said coming into the room, his smile growing as they both looked up at him.

"Daddy," Johnny said banging on his pot loudly.

"Cooking," Allie joined in pounding on her pan too.

"I can see that," EJ said squatting down on the floor to their level so they would not have to look up at him.

"You cook daddy?" Allie waved her wooden spoon in EJ's direction.

EJ felt his heart melt when he heard her sweet little voice; Allie looked so much like her mother that it sometimes broke his heart knowing she really wasn't his child, but in all the ways that it mattered she was as much his child as Johnny was.

"You want daddy to cook?" EJ asked trying not to get hit by their spoons in the process.

"Daddy no cook," Johnny shook his head.

"What you mean is your mommy can't cook," EJ began and then with the mention of their mother, knew he needed to let her know the twins were all right. He started to get up when John and Samantha entered the room.

"See I told you they would probably be with Rolf," John said as Sami rushed past him to get to the twins. 

"Oh my goodness, you both had me so worried," Sami said touching both their heads in the process as she squatted down beside EJ on the floor with the twins.

"I was just coming to tell you the twins were with Rolf," EJ said to Sami, seeing the instant relief come over her features as she looked at the twins.

"We cook mommy," Johnny said raising up his spoon and knocking his chef hat askew.

"Mommy no cook," Allie shook her head sadly as she started to bang on her pot again. 

"Your mommy can cook," Sami stated to which both babies instantly shook their heads no in unison.

"Mommy no cook," Johnny agreed with Allie causing EJ to start laughing which only made Sami push at his shoulder causing him to topple over in the floor.

"I bet your daddy told you that fib, but he is so wrong," Sami said giving EJ the evil eye which only made him laugh harder and pull her down beside him on the floor. 

"I'm right, but I love you anyway," EJ blurted out before he even thought about his words, brushing a kiss on the side of Sami's head after he said it.

Sami looked up at him, thinking she needed to get out of the floor, hearing the words of love for her that he so easily spoke only making her silence about her pregnancy harder for her to keep.

"I've got to go," she said, getting up rather quickly and making the room spin in her haste to get away from EJ.

"Samantha are you all right, you really look pale," John said reaching out a hand to her as he saw her start to sway and those were the last words she heard spoken as black spots started to form in front of her eyes and she slumped over in John's arms.

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 19_

EJ was up out of the floor just seconds after Sami passed out in John's arms. The twins unaware of anything being wrong since Rolf got their attention by giving them another spoon apiece.

EJ reached out for Sami as she sagged limply against John's frame, his eyes wide with worry as he looked to John for guidance.

"Let's take her into the drawing room," John suggested to EJ as he nodded his head in agreement.

"May I take her from you?" EJ asked wanting to hold her in his arms, she looked lifeless and that scared EJ even more.

"Yes, but be careful with her," John reluctantly let EJ take Samantha from him, both concerned over her passing out so suddenly in the kitchen.

"I would never do anything to hurt her," EJ said softly as he gingerly picked Sami up, cradling her body in his arms as John lead the way to the drawing room.

"I know you wouldn't, but sometimes others may not believe it," John said as EJ settled on one of the many couches that were in the room, positioning Sami's head against his shoulder.

"I love her John," EJ declared softly looking down at her face, wondering what in the world was wrong with her since she had never imparted that information to him last night or this morning.

"Hard to be in love with one woman and have another one pregnant," John remarked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Uncle John, it wasn't as if I planned on Nicole becoming pregnant," EJ started to explain and then stopped when he felt Sami shift in his arms and she blinked her eyes open wearily.

"She's coming around," John announced moving in closer to try and examine her while EJ continued to hold her in his arms.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" EJ asked in a quiet tone, not wanting to rouse her too quickly in case she was still feeling woozy.

"What happened?" Sami asked turning her head which caused her to stiffen up in EJ's arms. How in the world had she ended up in his arms when they were in the kitchen only moments earlier?

"You fainted," John stated dryly as Sami immediately struggled to get out of EJ's arms, afraid that he would be able to feel the roundness of her tummy if she turned a certain way against him.

"Let me up EJ," Sami said pushing away from him even though a wave of nausea hit her and she felt the room starting to swirl around her once more.

"No, you are sick and by god you better tell me why you were at the hospital yesterday, I've waited long enough for your explanation," EJ said not wanting to relinquish his hold upon her even though Sami was trying to punch him in the ribs just so that she could put some distance between them.

Sami pushed away from him weakly and sat upon the couch beside EJ giving him a stern look, "It's none of your business why I was at the hospital yesterday."

"Yes it is," EJ looked her directly in the eyes before she dropped her gaze. "Sweetheart I'm worried about you. This isn't normal. Don't you realize I can't bear to think that something may be wrong with you?"

"You need to worry about Nicole and your new baby on the way," Sami said looking down at the floor, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes she knew would be there by her latest comment to him.

"Oh so Lucas is the only one privy to your health concerns, not me?" EJ asked the jealously over Lucas being with Sami yesterday at the hospital and with her last night at the mansion coming back to the forefront when Sami refused to divulge what was going on with her. 

She could hear it in his tone, EJ didn't like Lucas being her confidant, but what he couldn't realize was that she had a very good reason not to tell him what was going on. Didn't EJ have enough on his plate without her adding to his problems?

"Are you not going to answer me?" EJ asked when she didn't answer his other question.

Sami looked back at him and it was like John wasn't even in the room with them, "EJ, you just don't understand."

"Help me understand Samantha, I can't help you if you keep shutting me out," EJ urged, hoping she would open up to him, he was going out of his mind with worry, he would be lost without her in his life. Why couldn't she see that?

"I'm going to leave you two alone," John said taking his leave of them so they could have some privacy.

"Thank you John," EJ said and then returned his full attention back to Samantha. "You said we needed to talk after we found the children, so please talk to me. Tell me what is going on."

"EJ, I…" Sami reached out to touch his face, her fingers softly brushing the side of his face as she took a deep breath, ready to tell him even though she still had so many reservations about revealing the truth to him.

"What sweetheart? Don't you know how much I care about you? I'd move heaven and earth for you if you asked me to. I'd do anything for you."

Sami felt the tears forming in her eyes, all she had to do was say it, tell him she loved him and that they were going to have another baby, but before she could say anything she heard Nicole screeching right outside the doorway.

"Don't tell me I can't see EJ right now. I'm having his baby damn it so let me by," Nicole's voice rose an octave higher than it normally was as she continued to raise her voice at Rolf.

Both Sami and EJ turned at the noise and Sami tensed up, she couldn't tell EJ now not with Nicole raising hell in the foyer at Rolf.

"You better go calm down Cruella," Sami muttered as she rose from the couch albeit rather unsteadily.

"Cruella?" EJ asked, hating that Nicole had barged into the mansion and stopped Sami from saying whatever it was that she was trying to tell him.

"Deville," Sami answered with a shrug, "if you watch some of the twin's Disney DVD's you'll understand."

"There you are EJ," Nicole pushed past Sami on her way into the room determined to get to EJ all the while wondering if Sami had split the news to him about also being pregnant.

"Yes, here I am Nicole," EJ said wearily as Sami slipped out of the room before he could say anything else to her.

"Ralph wasn't going to let me in here to see you," Nicole began to spout off obscenities about Rolf and his lack of respect for her.

"It's Rolf," EJ corrected her, only to have Nicole go on as if he had never spoken to her.

"Ralph needs to be fired, he is a terrible butler," Nicole started complaining about him while EJ thought about how much the twins loved him and enjoyed the time Rolf spent with them, being so patient with his children as Nicole kept going on and on. 

Sami leaned against the wall after leaving the drawing room, thinking she had almost told EJ the truth until Nicole had burst into the room, she closed her eyes taking a deep breath ready to go into the kitchen to be with her children as she heard a voice speak to her, "Samantha, exactly what is going on with you?"

"John, it's complicated," Sami began as she opened her eyes to see John looking at her anxiously.

"Complicated huh? So is it this love thing you have for EJ that you are afraid to tell him about?"

"Love thing?" Sami asked trying to act like John was so far off base in his assumptions about her and EJ's relationship. "John, EJ and I are not in love with each other. We just tolerate one another for the sake of the children."

"If you think I'm going to believe that whopper, you are smoking pop," John said making Sami look at him weirdly.

"Crack?" John asked when he realized that he had chosen the incorrect word judging by the look on Samantha's face.

Sami shook her head starting to laugh, she really did love John and hated that it had taken so many years for her to learn to appreciate him, "Come on John let's go eat breakfast. I'm starving and I don't want to have to deal with Nicole being in there with EJ."

"Are you really okay?" John asked stopping her before they could enter the kitchen again.

Sami hesitated wishing she could tell John she was pregnant, but afraid he might inadvertently tell EJ before he realized what he was doing. "I'm going to be all right. I just need to get something to eat."

"You would tell me if something were wrong wouldn't you?" John asked, a fatherly concern coming over him as he had another flashback of a younger version of Samantha coming into his thoughts while they stood there in the doorway. 

"Don't worry about me John," Sami reached over to give him a quick hug even though he didn't put his arms around her, but he was getting more used to her impromptu moves she made, this hug thing was something he might even get used to doing after a while. "I'm going to be fine."

"I hope so," John patted her back awkwardly, though not as robotic as it had been for him to do the night before when they had talked in the kitchen together.

Sami hoped so too as she turned to go into the kitchen, at least seeing her children seated in their highchairs already eating their breakfast was something that could make her smile even though her life was extremely crazy at the moment. She just needed to focus on them and do her best to steer clear of EJ because she was afraid they were never going to be free of Nicole Walker's annoying presence in all of their lives.

_Whisper_

_****__Chapter 20_

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Nicole asked after about talking thirty minutes nonstop about herself when she realized that EJ wasn't adding much to the conversation at all beyond an occasional yes or no.

"Of course," EJ lied, the sentiment rolling off his tongue with ease, anything to keep Nicole from going off again, she had been on a roll about Rolf and he didn't want to get her started fussing about Samantha being in the room with him before she had come in upon them.

"You sure don't seem like it," Nicole huffed as she thought back to Sami leaving the room as soon as she entered it.

"I apologize, it's just that I have a lot on my mind," EJ tried to explain, feeling a knot twist in his stomach as he thought about how in the world he was going to be able to handle Nicole throughout her pregnancy. While he didn't want any harm to come to her, he certainly didn't want her in his life either, but he had gotten her into this mess by being careless so it was his responsibility to own up to his mistake. He wanted Samantha by his side, not Nicole and he could only imagine Nicole's fury when she realized that truth.

"We need to make plans about our baby," Nicole said, her hand immediately going to her stomach to emphasize her tiny baby bump. "You know this baby is truly a miracle, the doctors told me I would never be able to get pregnant."

"I remember you telling me that," EJ said a frown creasing his brow as he thought back to Nicole telling him that they hadn't needed any type of birth control that infamous day in the elevator.

"EJ are you not happy about this? I mean I know it was just that one time, but I thought this wonderful news could bring us closer. I mean you do want this baby don't you?" Nicole asked finally noticing how distracted EJ had seemed to be ever since she had come into the room.

"Happy?" EJ asked, wishing he could be happy about this news instead of equating it to a huge mistake of judgment on his part.

"Yes, happy EJ," Nicole tried to move in closer to him, hoping he would kiss her or at least wrap his arms around her, but she was disappointed when he backed up a bit away from her. "You know we could be happy, the three of us, you, me and our new baby."

"Nicole you know I already have a child," EJ interjected only causing Nicole to narrow her eyes at him.

"How could I forget Johnny since your precious Samantha is his mother," Nicole rose to get up from the couch, her anger at Sami growing with each passing day. Damn that woman for coming between she and EJ time and time again. She was like a poison to EJ, something he couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried to pull him away from her. "I don't even know why I even bother. You haven't paid attention to a word I've said since I arrived. All you think about is her, my baby and I don't matter at all."

"You do," EJ winced, hoping the find the right words for Nicole, he didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't need to lead her on into thinking they might have a future together either.

"Don't lie, I can see it in your eyes," Nicole spat, wishing that she could get rid of Sami once and for all, her and her new baby that EJ would surely love, she could see it all, Sami would have EJ and all his money while she and her baby would be living in a hovel barely trying to get by, she would probably even have to get a job. It just wasn't fair at all.

"Nicole, there is no reason to get upset," EJ said rising to meet her, her temper was flaring up with little prompting so he knew he couldn't tell her his intentions just yet. He had to think about the baby, their child didn't deserve for him not to feel anything for its mother, but his heart belonged to Samantha, no matter what he had tried to do to get on with his life.

"Well maybe Stefano will be happy to hear the news of the new heir," Nicole said viciously as she turned on her heel ready to make her exit from the room.

"You will not tell Father anything," EJ said grasping her arm tight so that she could not leave the room.

"Are you ashamed to let him know that I'm pregnant?" Nicole tried to wrench her arm free, but EJ wouldn't let her go.

"This isn't something that needs to be broadcasted," EJ warned her, his temper starting to flare thinking of how Stefano would only want the child to further along his empire, not that he would actually care about it as a human being. He had learned over the past year how nefarious his father truly was, why John was living proof that Stefano would go to any lengths to ensure he got exactly what he wanted.

"Don't you think Ralph ran and told him last night as soon as he heard the news?"

"It's Rolf, and no, he didn't say anything to Father," EJ said tightly, knowing he could trust Rolf to be discreet.

"Well I think Stefano has a right to know that he is going to have another grandchild," Nicole said still trying to get EJ to let go of her arm, but he only pulled her closer to him instead.

"You will not tell Stefano anything until I tell you to do so," EJ warned her as Nicole started to whimper, he was beginning to hurt her arm.

"EJ let go of me," Nicole said her eyes turning stone cold as she looked at him.

"You don't want to make me angry Nicole, I promise you won't like it," EJ said quietly as he released her arm from his grasp.

Nicole immediately rubbed her arm as soon as EJ let go of her. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be, especially if you tell my father anything that I don't give you permission to say," EJ stated coldly, hoping that he was getting his point across, he just couldn't deal with Nicole telling Stefano before he had a plan in motion about what he would do about the baby. There was no telling what Nicole would try to do to get what she wanted and once again he wished he had listened when Sami had begged him to stay away from Nicole. His plan to make Sami jealous with Nicole had backfired on him with disastrous results.

Nicole gave him a murderous look, "Just because I'm pregnant it doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do."

"Yes it does, if I am the father," EJ said giving her a perusal up and down her entire body as the thought formed that she could by lying about him being the father to this miraculous baby she claimed to be carrying.

"You are the father!" Nicole raised her hand to strike him, how dare he even claim that he might not be the man who fathered this child with her.

"Let's go get a paternity test then, If you are so certain that I am the father of this child, then you shouldn't have any qualms over us having the test taken just to prove your accusations," EJ said hoping that maybe she was lying and he was going to be able to call her bluff, things just weren't adding up with her story of not being able to have children and then miraculously she was going to have his child.

"How dare you?" Nicole's nostrils flared in her face as she shook with anger.

"Nicole it is no secret to you that I am worth millions, and now suddenly you wind up pregnant with my child just as Victor had his divorce settlement to you reversed after he found out you had been married to Trent Robbins all along."

"You are a bastard," Nicole said her chest heaving as EJ was voicing some of the things that she had thought of when she realized she was pregnant.

"That may well be the case, but if you want me to believe you, a paternity test is needed," EJ state matter of fact, wishing he had asked for one last night when Nicole had announced the news that she was pregnant but he had been so caught off guard that he hadn't known what to do, but now it was clear, if Nicole was pregnant by him, he would do the right thing by her, but if he wasn't the father of this child he was going to toss her out of his life and never let her get close to him ever again. 

"I don't have to do this," Nicole shook her head, EJ wasn't going to be calling the shots, she was and he better get used to it.

"Oh yes you do," EJ motioned for her to sit down on the couch. "Wait here, I'm going to go get dressed and then we are going to University Hospital."

Nicole stomped her foot angrily and sat down as EJ nodded his head, "Smart thinking Nicole. I swear if you are lying to me you are going to regret it dearly."

"The only thing you are going to regret is treating me like this," Nicole said after EJ left the room to get dressed. She pulled out her cell phone from her pocketbook dialing Dr. Daniel Jonas' number, he better come through for her because he owed her big time.


	5. Chapter 5

_Whisper_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Days of our Lives or the characters._

_****__Whisper_

_Chapter 21_

Nicole clicked her phone shut, a wicked smile forming on her face. Daniel had answered her call and while she wasn't 100% sure that he would do what she asked of him, she was pretty sure he didn't want Victor finding out that they had slept together either.

She tapped her foot angrily, wondering what in the world was taking EJ so long to get ready. Could the guy not leave the mansion without changing into a suit? Granted he wore his Armani well, better than any other man she knew, but she was not going to take those thinly veiled threats from him anymore either.

She was having his baby and he was acting like she was lying about the entire issue. While she wasn't completely sure EJ was the father since she had slept with Daniel too, surely Daniel wouldn't want to jump headfirst into the role of fatherhood?

No, Daniel did love playing the field and hooking up with every available female in the radius of the city limits of Salem. Nicole thought the doctor definitely knew how to play doctor so to speak, but she had to keep her eyes on her ultimate goal, that was becoming the next Mrs. EJ DiMera.

Nicole was going to be filthy rich and poor Sami and her passel of brats were going to be finding other living arrangements pronto. No way was that hussy going to live here in the mansion too having EJ at her beck and call. Why even Lucas was chasing after her and hadn't he claimed that he was in love with Chloe?

Maybe it would be better for Chloe in the long run if Lucas dumped her to get back together with Sami. Nicole grimaced as she thought of what she gave away by marrying Lucas Roberts, Horton whoever the hell name he was going by this year. She had lost Eric when she had accepted Kate's offer of five million dollars to marry her pathetic son, one who had proven to be a pitiful dud in the bedroom. Why he never lasted more than three minutes tops, grunting and sweating on top of her before he was done leaving her just wanting to go shower to get rid of his scent upon her.

Thank goodness she had gotten rid of that loser, but still when she thought of Eric Brady it made what was left of her small heart a tinge sad. Eric had been the only man to ever truly love her, but of course she had chosen hard cold cash over the love of her life.

Now her money was gone, but not for long. The baby was going to be her cash cow to wrangle EJ into her snare. She had thought once they had slept together that he would want to be with her constantly, but she knew he stilled loved Sami. Why he loved her she had no clue, the woman was completely unlovable.

EJ just had to marry her; he had to because being poor sucked big time. Nicole was sick and tired of trying to scrape by, she wanted it all. Hell she deserved it all, the money, the power, seeing that tramp Sami out in the cold with no man to comfort her. The last thought especially brought her great joy, because Sami Brady was her greatest rival. Why all the men thought she was such a damn prize baffled her to no end.

She was going to win in this game for EJ. Sami didn't truly want him, she never had or she wouldn't have let him go in the first place. Now that she had Nicole wasn't giving him back to her no matter what she had to do to secure her future.

EJ had hoped to run into Sami before he and Nicole left to go to the hospital, but he couldn't find her anywhere. She had been so close to telling him what was wrong with her, until Nicole had come in shattering their closeness once again.

Why hadn't he listened to Sami's urgings to stay far away from Nicole? She had warned him so many times, but he passed it off as jealously, secretly impressed that his plan to get her to see she belonged with him backfired disastrously.

All he had wanted was for Sami to admit her true feelings for him, ones he knew deep down in his soul she had for him, instead he had slept with Nicole in a moment of weakness and now he was paying the price. If Nicole was indeed carrying his child what other choice would he have but to marry her? He didn't think Nicole would allow him any part into a child's life without her being a part of the package.

Neither would Stefano, EJ also wished his father had never returned to the mansion. He would demand that EJ marry Nicole even if EJ didn't love her. He stood in the doorway watching her wondering why in the world he had thought she was attractive. He now saw her clearly and what he saw wasn't what he wanted one bit. 

No, the woman he wanted was somewhere else in the mansion, the one woman he was afraid he wouldn't be able to have especially now that he had gotten himself into such a terrible mess. What in the world was he going to do if Nicole was pregnant with his child?

He sighed thinking the sooner they went to the hospital the sooner he would know the truth within a few days. Either he was going to narrowly escape being forced into a loveless marriage with a woman he didn't want to be with or maybe just maybe he would get another shot to prove to Samantha that he was the man worthy of her love.

He just hoped to God that the latter would be true, only time would tell for sure. 


	6. Chapter 6

_**Whisper  
>Chapter 22<strong>_

The ride to the hospital was a tense one; without EJ or Nicole saying a word to each other as they rode in the limo. EJ too nervous to drive while Nicole was busy trying to calculate a way a keep EJ from being in the room with her while Daniel examined her. Surely she could find a way to keep Daniel from doing a paternity test because it was too risky of a venture since she wasn't completely sure EJ was the father of her baby.

Their baby, she corrected herself, this child had to be EJ's or all was lost, she'd be forced to get a job and work and she was destined for a life of luxury, not one of slaving away to make ends meet like her mother had done her entire childhood. While Brandon and Taylor hadn't seemed to mind the hand me downs from well meaning people or shopping at the thrift stores for their clothes, it had rankled Nicole tremendously.

She guessed she was different from her brother and sister because they were both kind people who genuinely cared for others. Herself, not so much. She shrugged at least she was honest about who she was even if she couldn't be honest with EJ.

Damn she had thought he would be different from the others because at first he'd been fun and had seemed truly interested in her, although she'd known all along he'd been in love with Sami. She always loved a challenge and that had been a dozy of one because she had the chance to get the best of Sami Brady once more. She had wanted to take all that undeserved love EJ had for that bitch Sami who had taken him for granted and she wanted it for herself instead. She wanted to be the woman men worshipped instead of them using her and leaving her by the wayside when they were finished with her.

For a brief moment in time she had thought EJ was going to be that man for her, yet he was like all the rest of the men she had encountered. She hated giving up and above all she didn't want Sami Brady to win out once again against her. The one thing she did have on Sami at the moment was that she knew she was pregnant and Sami didn't have a clue she knew that pertinent bit of information.

She'd just have to find a way to turn it to her advantage. She knew she could because there was too much at stake for her not to do so.

* * * Whisper * * *

Sami had just thrown up again and she really didn't know if it was due to nerves over EJ asking her earlier this morning what was wrong with her or that this baby was making its presence known to her even if she wasn't letting anyone else know about its existence beyond Lucas. She felt bad for her ex-husband, he'd been sweet to her last night, yet she knew him and somewhere down the line he would have grown to resent this child of EJ's.

She was finally able to move away from the toilet without the threat of throwing up again and for that she was thankful. She brushed her teeth and tried not to gag, her hormones were kicking in with a vengeance. Her body was changing and she knew from experience within the next few weeks she wouldn't be able to hide the obvious from anyone, let alone keeping EJ in the dark about this new addition they would have in their family.

The realization hit her hard, all the time she had tried to fight her feelings for EJ they had somehow become a family. She only wished Stefano would not be involved in their lives, if he wasn't things might have turned out differently for them.

She knew she had to tell EJ the truth, but it hurt to know that skank Nicole was pregnant with his child too. EJ had been stupid hooking up with Nicole, yet she felt like she'd had her fair share of stupidity over the years pulling one crazy scheme after another to get things to go her way.

If she had given in and told EJ while they were still married that she had fallen in love with him neither one of them would be in this mess now.

Not that being pregnant was a mess since the night they had shared together created this life that was growing inside her right now. She looked up into the mirror and saw the worry etched upon her face. This turmoil wasn't good for the baby; she needed to get a handle on her emotions not only for her sake, but for the baby. The less stress the better.

Then she frowned, things couldn't get much more stressful than the current situation she had found herself in and then she emitted a wry chuckle she and stress seemed to go hand in hand these days.

Then she heard a knock on her bedroom door and Rolf's voice announcing to her that her brother was in the library requesting her presence. Sami smiled a true smile; at least one thing was going her way this morning after all.

Eric was here and hopefully he could help her with this situation. She needed his guidance now more than ever.


	7. Chapter 7

**Whisper  
>Chapter 23<strong>

_Author's note: In this story neither Melanie nor Parker are Daniel's children (by the way IMHO Parker never should have had his paternity changed just to prop the terrible paring of Dannifer on the show, but I digress.)  
><em>

It had taken a bit of her twisted sense of preservation and a whole lot of luck, but somehow Nicole had been able to see Daniel without EJ being in the room with her. At first EJ seemed upset about not being allowed in the examination room with her, at least until Maxine had explained that since they were not married, maybe Nicole would be more comfortable without his presence in the room.

Nicole had never really taken to Maxine before, she considered her a busybody, yet today she could have kissed her for interference by preventing EJ from accompanying her when she finally had the chance to speak with Daniel alone.

EJ had told her he would see her as soon as she was finished with the tests all the while alluding that he wanted to speak with Daniel as well when everything was completed.

Nicole breathed a sigh a relief after the door was closed and she hastily changed into hospital gown waiting for Daniel to show up. She frowned slightly at the examination table complete with stirrups, reminding her a bit too much of having to have yearly pap smears. She shuddered slightly and felt a tiny twinge and attributed it to her nerves in trying to pull off this ruse to keep EJ. Plus she hadn't had much sleep either after she had drunk so much last night.

She shook off the guilt that was starting to form, if only EJ had been more attentive to her and she hadn't found out that Sami was pregnant too she never would have taken a sip of alcohol, much less binged drink like she had last night. She could feel her blood pressure begin to rise as soon as she thought of her arch rival.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by Daniel's arrival. He didn't look like he wanted to be in here, but she had insisted he do her examination and test. He had her get situated on the examination table then paused before he began, "Nicole, are you sure you want me to be your doctor? I mean there are several qualified doctors on staff here and you could have your pick of any one of them especially if the DiMera's are footing the bill."

Nicole propped herself up on one elbow while she gave Daniel a knowing look, "Well you see dear Daniel that is why I especially wanted you to be my doctor because you can ensure that the DiMera's will definitely be paying for everything for me instead of anyone else having to be responsible."

"Are you suggesting that whatever I find out in regards to this paternity test you want EJ to be named the father even if he isn't?"

"Oh please, I don't think you want to step up and be a father after a drunken one night stand with me."

"This could be my child Nicole, not EJ's," Daniel stopped what he was doing and looked at her, his conscience bothering him. While he had never considered himself father material he didn't want another man raising his child either. How could he let anyone with the surname of DiMera raise a child if it was his?

"Just do the damn test and be sure that EJ is the father," Nicole snarled as she turned her head away from Daniel.

Daniel stood there for a moment not quite believing how cold and calculating Nicole could be even though it was as plain as day that she only wanted him to do the test to ensnare EJ. He tried to calm the anger he was beginning to feel toward this woman before he said or did something he might regret in the future.

"I'll do the test, but I won't lie about the results so if I'm the father I'll not lie for you."

"Daniel I swear…"

"I won't lie for you."

And with that he left the examination room with Nicole wondering what in the hell she would do if EJ wasn't the father and Daniel was instead.


	8. Chapter 8

**Whisper  
>Chapter 24<strong>

"Eric, you're here," Sami rushed and enveloped her twin brother into a tight embrace as she felt her eyes start to tear up. It had been far too long since she had seen him and so much had changed in both of their lives during their time apart.

"Yes, I'm here," Eric returned the hug with equal fervor; he really did love his sister even though she always managed to get into one mess after another.

Sami stepped back and looked at him, even though she knew he had taken his final vows it still amazed her that Eric had chosen the life of a priest. His appearance was what really got to her, seeing him dressed with the priest collar around his neck. It was hard to believe the priesthood was now his profession or as Eric gently reminded her it was his calling from God.

"Where are my manners? It's so pretty let's go out into the garden and talk. I'll have Rolf fix us a tray of sandwiches and some green tea." Sami pulled on Eric's arm to guide him to the doorway leading to one of the various garden areas of the DiMera mansion.

Eric let Sami lead him outside before she could see his hesitation in being anywhere in this household. After they were sitting down facing one another, Sami took a sip of her cup of tea before setting it back down on the ornate table.

"Aren't you going to eat something? Surely after the trip to get here I thought you would be hungry," Sami began chattering only to have Eric place a hand on her arm.

"Don't make this like we are having afternoon tea in the garden Sami," Eric started off only to have Sami begin laughing.

"Well doofus we are having tea in the garden and it is afternoon so…"

Eric almost said a curse word before he realized how quickly his twin sister could rile up his temper with a few simple words of teasing.

"Oh forgive me, Father Eric I didn't mean to call you a doofus…"

"Sami, you had me in a panic last night calling me during the middle of the night telling me you needed my help because you were in trouble and now you're acting like everything is fine and dandy."

Sami reached out to her brother and grabbed his hand, "I wish everything was fine. I just wanted to enjoy being in your company before I told you what was really going on in my life."

Eric looked around at his surroundings and back to the mansion specifically before turning his attention back to his sister. "From the looks of it, my sister is embracing the DiMera lifestyle instead of doing the smart thing and running as quickly as you can from this debacle of a family."

"Eric, you just don't know EJ…"

"His father is Stefano DiMera in case you've forgotten, the man who could terrify us quicker than anything when we were children; we didn't have to fear the boogeyman because he was personified in that evil being. Sami he kept us away from our parents for years."

"EJ is not his father…"

"He's a DiMera."

"My son Johnny is too and now that I'm…" She stopped herself before she said anything else to Eric, but he knew her far too well.

"Oh Sami, I thought you were done with EJ beyond him helping you raise Johnny. So when you said you were in trouble last night…"

Sami shook her head, feeling the tears starting to come again, hating that Eric was going to be disappointed in her too. She knew her parents would have a fit when they found out she was pregnant again with another baby from EJ.

Eric grasped her hand tighter, "Sami don't cry."

"How can I not? I'm going to have another DiMera baby and you hate EJ too just like all the rest of them. I thought at least with you that you might be able to see the good that I see in EJ. He's not his father and never will be like him."

"I don't hate anyone. It's just hard to see you wrapped up with the DiMera's."

Sami raised her eyes to face her brother, no need to look down in shame, she was going to have to come to grips with it sooner or later and her time was running out on keeping everyone in the dark about her current condition.

"Well I'm not wrapped up with them seeing as how EJ doesn't know that we're having another baby."

Eric shot a disbelieving look in his sister's direction, "You haven't told EJ you're pregnant?"

"No one knows, well almost no one. Lucas and now you know about it."

"Lucas? He's your long lost buddy again?"

"He's my ex-husband and my friend, one that I can trust."

"Are you saying you can't trust EJ to tell him the truth?"

"Well there are complications…"

"Such as?"

"Nicole Walker is supposedly pregnant with EJ's baby too so I'm not all in the mood to tell EJ he is going to be a father to a new baby for us too."

Eric expelled a breath; he hadn't expected to hear anything about Nicole Walker yet alone hearing she was pregnant as well.

"Sami no matter how hurt you are with EJ for this indiscretion…"

"Indiscretion? Seriously Eric this is more than an indiscretion, this is freaking terrible. How do I get into these situations?"

Eric raised his eyebrow after that question from Sami which earned him a scowl. "You have to tell EJ that you are having his child."

"That's what Lucas said too, but I don't want to burden EJ anymore than he already is at the moment."

"I never thought I would agree with Lucas Roberts on anything…"

"Horton," Sami corrected without thinking about it.

Eric rolled his eyes, even if he was a priest, he didn't like Lucas not after all the heartache he had caused him by marrying Nicole.

"Whatever his last name is these days, I agree with what Lucas told you to do. You have to tell EJ the truth. He has a right to know that you are having his baby."

"I liked you better when you weren't a priest." Sami stated matter of fact.

"Priest or not, I'd be giving you the same advice. I just hope for once in your life you take it."

"I've taken your advice before…"

Eric shook his head, "No you haven't even though you should have…"

"I'll tell him soon."

"No better time than the present, do it today, unburden your soul," Eric finally took a sip of his tea.

"I thought that was what I was doing, unburdening my soul," Sami rolled her eyes at him.

"No I think you were just stressing me out."

"Eric," Sami warned.

"Sami, in all seriousness, tell EJ and let him decide what he needs to do. Whether it be with you or Nicole."

"I do not want to trap him."

"Not saying you are, but just lay it all out there and then see what you both need to do. It's not fair for you to assume what EJ would do because he doesn't know what you know."

"I know, but it's just so hard and my pride is hurt."

"At least you can admit it to me even if you won't admit to anyone else."

"I can tell you things that you can't reveal to anyone else, but don't worry I'll tell him."

"Today," Eric added because he knew Sami was a master of procrastination, if she could put something off until the next day and then the next, she would do so in a heartbeat.

"All right, I'll do it today." Sami reluctantly agreed knowing it was easier said than done, but Eric was right, she needed to let EJ know even if she wasn't sure of what his reaction might be to her news.

She only hoped it would be good news for them both. Guess she would see soon enough.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Whisper**_

_**Chapter 25**_

Nicole didn't feel well at all after the examination Daniel had given her. She knew she was suffering the lingering effects of a hangover from her drinking binge last night. It also didn't help that she and EJ were at odds with one another. His demanding a paternity test had surprised and angered her.

It was no wonder she had drank last night until she passed out. What infuriated her even more was EJ's concern for Sami when she was keeping a whopper of a secret from him.

Not that she was a paragon of virtue, but she had told EJ she was pregnant even if it had been in a roundabout way. She had thought when he found out the news he would be joyous, but the joy she was hoping for never surfaced. Instead EJ had and was still worried about that liar Sami.

She got her clothes back and prepared to leave the room when a pang hit her almost making her stop in her tracks. She pressed a hand on her stomach, silently vowing she wouldn't take another drink no matter what EJ said or did to her. If she wanted this plan to work, she needed to take care of her baby.

Along with the way EJ had treated her this morning and now that they had more than a slight bit of animosity brewing between them, all she wanted was to go back to her hotel room and sleep. She didn't think she could put up with a simpering Sami and witnessing EJ longing for the woman who truly didn't deserve his devotion.

What made it worse was the look of relief on EJ's face when she announced she wanted to go back to the Salem Inn instead of returning to the DiMera mansion with him. EJ tried to cover it by stating that was good since he really needed to go into the law office to work anyway.

But she knew the truth; EJ wanted to get away from her and was glad she had provided him a means of escape even if he wouldn't tell her that to her face. Her heart sank even further when he had his driver drop her off and he didn't even offer to walk her to her room.

She guessed the days of his gallant ways with her were long gone as she trudged up the stairs alone, not patient enough to wait for the elevator to take her to her floor since it seemed to be stuck once more.

With a wry smile that bordered closer to a frown she remembered the night she and EJ had supposedly conceived her baby. She was under no illusion that there would be any more elevator trysts with him. He scooted away from her every time she tried to get close to him lately.

Walking up the stairs she felt a pain hit her again that caused her to grab the banister on the stairwell. She took a few deep breaths hoping to calm herself and then shakily continued her way, taking care to hold onto the rail all the way until she got to the doorway to her floor.

Her steps slow, she finally made it to her room, the hotel key card almost falling out of her hand as she attempted to open the door. After the second attempt to gain entrance she got into her room promptly closing the door behind her and heading straight for her bed.

All she needed was some rest and then she'd feel as good as new. Luckily she fell asleep within the first few minutes of lying down because her mind had been racing with the fear that something could be wrong with her.

The last thought she had before falling to sleep was that she'd be all right. Too much was depending on it for things to work out otherwise.

**_ Whisper _**

Daniel knew he shouldn't do this paternity test with a sample of his DNA too without Nicole's permission, but he had a feeling in his gut that it was more than a slight possibility he could be the father to Nicole's baby instead of EJ. Being Victor's godson he had heard all the stories of how terrible the DiMera's were and on more than one occasion he had witnessed EJ's anger firsthand.

But he'd also witnessed EJ's anguish over his son Johnny being diagnosed with eye cancer so while he wasn't a fan of EJ's he knew that he did love his children even if he wasn't a model citizen of Salem.

He chuckled grimly thinking he wasn't such a model citizen himself even if he was a doctor. He'd fooled around with one too many of the women in Salem and now it might just come back to haunt him if in fact he was the father of this unborn miracle child of Nicole's.

He guessed he shouldn't have been three sheets to the wind drunk the night he had hooked up with Nicole then he wouldn't even be in this predicament wondering if he was going to be a father instead of EJ DiMera. Plus even if he didn't particularly like EJ he shouldn't keep such pertinent information from him. He'd taken an oath to heal, not to destroy and it wasn't his place to judge especially since his own life wasn't too much to brag about.

He needed to quit sleeping around because this was surely a wakeup call of what could happened when you got dog drunk, didn't use any kind of contraceptives to prevent pregnancy and slept with a woman you didn't really like too much in the first place. He took the swap he'd just used and placed it in the protective packaging. Noting there were two samples to test against he made sure he labeled them each one separately because he didn't want any error of margin.

This test was too important and he personally carried the specimens to the lab himself. No way was he going to let something like this go because he had to know the truth even if Nicole was borderline threatening him that the only truth she needed was for the test to confirm EJ DiMera was the father of her unborn child.

Danielle the lab technician smiled when she saw Dr. Jonas approach, she'd always liked him, he was nice and personable and when he asked her to do a rush job on this test she was glad to do it. Instead of days to get back the information she assured him she could have it to him by the end of the day. She'd make this her top priority and get the results back to him as soon as possible.

Well that was done, Daniel thought as he left the lab, before long he'd know the answer to the question that was bugging him. One way or the other either he'd know and right now he wasn't so sure what he would like the results to be, but it was better to know than to be left in the dark. Of that much he was sure.

**_ Whisper _**

EJ called the mansion hoping to get in touch with Sami. He knew she never kept her cell phone with her or if she did, she usually let the battery die and his messages would go to voicemail. Furthermore she rarely returned his calls anyway.

Rolf informed EJ that Miss Samantha was enjoying a visit with her twin brother Eric and that he would be sure to tell her that he had called to let her know he would be home later after he had finished up going over some cases he needed to work on that Mickey had given him over the past few weeks.

It bothered him that he couldn't get in touch with her, but he also didn't want to seem like an overeager puppy begging for scraps of her attention either. Hopefully Samantha would tell him what was going on with her tonight. He'd try to get her alone and with any luck Nicole wouldn't show up and spoil the moment between them once more.

He'd just have to be patient and wait. He knew the behavior well because with Samantha you needed that attribute in spades.

Just a few more hours and then they'd talk. He'd make sure of it this time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Whisper**

**Chapter 26**

Eric had left the DiMera mansion telling Sami he was going to visit his parents but would not tell them what was going on with his twin sister. It was her place to tell them the news, but the person who really needed to hear it first and foremost was EJ.

Sami had finally agreed with him, he had told her to just lay it all out there for EJ because he deserved to know the truth. Then it would be up to them together to decide what the future might hold for them.

Sami had taken a long walk afterwards thinking that EJ would be home soon, but the afternoon drug on into the early evening and he still wasn't home. What could have been taking him so long at the hospital? Surely they had performed the paternity test by now.

Then a terrible thought hit her. What if EJ and Nicole had decided to elope? He knew Nicole was pregnant with his child he had no clue that he was also going to be a new father to another child with her as well. Her imagination went wild thinking of all kinds of scenarios with Nicole coming into the mansion and this time instead of the surprising news of her being pregnant it was an announcement proclaiming she was the new Mrs. EJ DiMera.

It made Sami sick to her stomach thinking of how she would deal with EJ being married to someone else when she loved him too. Pride aside even though it had hurt her badly that he had been with Nicole physically she knew in her heart that EJ didn't love Nicole.

EJ loved her, she knew he did despite all the things she had thrown at him, all the times she had spurned him, all the times she had hurt him. Before she let her imagination of him marrying Nicole go any further she was taking her twin brother's advice.

She was going to tell EJ the truth.

First off though in her mission for what she knew would been an eventful evening she went to Rolf to ask him if he would prepare a special dinner for her and EJ, she only wanted it to be for the two of them and have it served outside in the gazebo.

Rolf immediately agreed to her request and told her their meal would be magnificent and he would make sure to have everything set up perfectly, that she would be surprised when she saw what he could do with a few strategically placed lights, flowers and a stunning table arrangement. Sami assured him she didn't need all that but Rolf insisted saying such a special woman needed to have a special evening every once in a while.

Sami thanked him profusely and before she left she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. Rolf ducked his head and Sami thought he was blushing as she went up the stairs to her bedroom.

She was in search of her missing cell phone and after ransacking her bedroom for it she found that of course the phone battery was dead and she would need to charge it. She hooked it up to the charger in her bedroom and went to check on the twins who were happily playing the Mary their nanny.

Sami got in the floor to play with them as well and then asked a huge favor of Mary if she would be willing to look after the twins this evening because she had something that needed to be taken care of that couldn't wait any longer than what she had already delayed doing.

Mary sheepishly asked if that something included Mr. EJ adding if that were the case she'd stay as long as she needed to do so stating that she thought she and Mr. EJ needed an evening to themselves without any interruptions from anyone.

Sami then blushed herself and said yes that was precisely what they both needed. After kissing the twins and telling them that she would be back later on to tuck them in and kiss them goodnight she went back to her room. She picked up her phone hoping it was at least halfway charged again and luckily it was and then she noted she had several calls from EJ, but no messages left for her on the phone.

It reminded her of when he had told her she needed to keep her phone charged and answer his calls sometimes. Now she wondered if he had been calling to let her know that Nicole was definitely having his child.

Well before she let her imaginings get the best of her she decided to call him instead of thinking the worst. Who knew maybe he had been trying to call her to tell that Nicole wasn't even pregnant in the first place.

She shook her head, things like that didn't happen in her universe, but she could dream. She decided to bite the bullet and call him. She was going through with this plan.

She hit his number on her speed dial and was rather impatient for him to answer. She was going to do this, she had the plans in motion and now all she needed was EJ without Nicole Walker anywhere in the vicinity.

What seemed like forever but was really only a few rings EJ answered his phone.

"EJ, hey, may I ask a huge favor of you?" Sami asked upon hearing his voice on the other line.

EJ paused a moment thinking she was going to ask something that he would hate saying yes to like her wanting to move out of the mansion since Nicole was pregnant or something else terrible along those lines, but he couldn't deny her anything no matter what the cost might end up being to himself.

"Of course, what is it Samantha?"

"Well I need your undivided attention this evening. just you and me for a few hours alone, no one else around."

"Why?" EJ asked intrigued now instead of feeling like it might end up being something he dreaded agreeing doing for her.

"You'll see when you get home," Sami said not revealing anything else to him beyond the time he needed to meet her at the gazebo at 7:30 pm and then quickly added to dress for dinner.

EJ agreed even though he had no clue of what she was up to but he felt encouraged that she had called the mansion home instead of the usual derogatory terms she had for it.

"All right, I'll see you at 7:30 in the gazebo," EJ said a feeling of anticipation already overcoming him. He looked down at his watch. It was just past 5 pm, he had worked all afternoon in hopes of getting his mind off of this awful predicament he had gotten in with Nicole and now he finally had something to look forward to for a change.

He was going to meet with Samantha in a few hours. He needed to finish up a few loose ends on some accounts at work and then he'd head home to the woman he loved, Samantha.

_~ Whisper ~_

Danielle Jennings called Dr. Jonas to come to the lab, he had made her promise to get in touch with him as soon as the tests he had ordered had been completed and she had run the tests personally as a favor to him. She sealed the information up in the envelope and wasn't surprised to see Dr. Jonas to arrive within minutes of her call.

"Thank you so much for taking care of this for me," Daniel took the envelope from her and hoped she didn't notice how anxious he was to get away and look at these results in private. "I owe you one."

"No problem, Dr. Jonas," Danielle gave him a smile and hoped the news he was good. Many times they had bad news to give to patients but maybe this would be a time it was good news instead.

"See ya," Daniel took off and headed directly to his office, immediately tearing the envelope open as soon as he shut the door. With shaking hands he took out the papers and he didn't know whether to be happy or sad about the test results.

He took a deep breath and then felt a smile coming on his face. While it wasn't something he was sure he was going to be capable of doing one thing was for sure.

He was going to be a dad.

_~ Whisper ~_

Nicole awoke feeling more than a bit disoriented from her long nap; she looked around her hotel room and surmised it was early evening. She had slept the entire afternoon away, but after the scare she had gotten earlier with those twinges of pain she prayed it was all a fluke. That she and her baby were going to be okay.

She got up to go to the bathroom and before she made it to the door it hit her again, those feelings she'd had earlier in the day. Frantic she grabbed her cell phone and called the person she knew would be able to help her figure out what was going on with her.

She was almost to the point of crying she was so scared when he answered his phone. "Daniel, its Nicole. I need your help! I'm scared something is wrong."

"With the baby?" Daniel asked his heart sinking as he listened to Nicole cry on the phone.

"Yes, please come right now." Nicole pleaded with him, knowing even if she had threatened him earlier today he would help her, he was a good doctor even if he wasn't very happy with her at the moment.

"Calm down Nicole, I'll be there in just a few minutes," Daniel assured her as he rushed to the nurses desk, told them he had to leave due to a medical emergency and that he would be back later on in the evening.

Nicole prayed a prayer that her baby would be all right, something was terribly wrong she shouldn't be feeling this way. She slid down into the floor and patiently waited for Daniel to get there. If anyone could help her and her baby it would be him.

She never even thought about calling EJ at all.

_~ Whisper ~_

EJ finished up his work and before he headed home he stopped by a vendor who was selling flowers, picking out a small bouquet of dark pink roses, ones that were merely buds of flowers that would hit full bloom in a few days time. While he wasn't sure Samantha would accept his gesture he wanted to do something nice for her.

He hated seeing the look of hurt on her face after Nicole had told her the news of her pregnancy. He had thought long and hard all afternoon over what he was going to do about the situation and each time he considered doing what his father would demand as the right thing to do and marry Nicole if she was indeed having his child, he just couldn't wrap his mind around spending the rest of his life with Nicole.

While he would provide any kind of financial support for Nicole and their child he knew in his heart he couldn't marry her and he wouldn't marry her no matter what anyone expected of him. He would love any child of his, but that didn't mean he loved their mother unless it was Samantha.

He loved Samantha and wanted a life with her and their children. He only hoped he could convince her of his sincerity. It would take a big leap of faith for her to believe in him especially with Nicole being pregnant, but he was willing to take the chance. He'd never know for sure unless he asked her to forgive him and take a chance on him and his love for her.

He was going to ask Samantha to marry him again. If she said no, he would be heartbroken, but at least she would know she was the only woman he loved and would be the only one. He'd made a bad mistake by being with Nicole when Samantha had rejected him before, but even if Samantha told him no tonight he wasn't ever going to marry Nicole. He couldn't when his heart belonged solely to Samantha.

He still had their rings, the ones she had given him back when she had been so upset with him about lying of their annulment. He had told her he would have done anything to keep their family together even though she had argued with him that two people had to be in love to be a family.

He remembered begging her that night to just please be honest for once in her life, he was sorry for lying to her, for orchestrating the immigration fiasco too, and he knew a part of her didn't want their marriage to be over. He told her it hadn't been about the rings, but for her to please admit it, that she had feelings for him.

He'd seen her war with herself that night, saw her despair as she wanted to give into him, to be with him, but then she had pulled herself back from him and ran. He prayed to god this time she wouldn't run away from him, but even if she did he wasn't going to let her go without her knowing how much he needed her in his life.

_~ Whisper ~_

It felt like it took forever for him to reach The Salem Inn, but finally Daniel had slung his car into the parking lot and he couldn't even wait for the elevator to open for him, he took the stairs two at a time to get to Nicole's room on the 5th floor.

When he got to her room, he tried to open the door, but found it locked. He called out to her and when she didn't answer he did the first thing that came to his mind.

He kicked in the door and found her lying on the floor.

"Nicole, can you hear me?" Daniel asked as he gently picked her off the bedroom floor.

Nicole roused briefly when he called her name and she softly cried, "Daniel, I'm so scared something is wrong with my baby."

"Our baby," he answered her as she tried to focus on his words.

"Our baby, I'm not carrying EJ's child?"

"No honey, but I promise you I'm going to do everything I can to save our child, if you'll let me," Daniel promised her as she tightened her arms around his neck and continued to whimper.

She nodded her head, taking the new s in that Daniel was the father of her unborn child, he was the one responsible for her miracle not EJ and as the news sunk in she realized it was probably for the best. This man may not care for her, but he would help her save the baby if he possibly could.

Daniel pulled her up in his arms as he sat down on the bed and managed to get his cell phone out of his jacket pocket without dislodging her from his grasp. He dialed 911 with the address stating he was a doctor and he needed an ambulance in route to The Salem Inn.

The last thing Nicole remembered was the worried look on his face as she begged him to save their baby and his fervent promise that he would do everything in his power to do so and then the room went dark around her.

_~ Whisper ~_

Sami was nervous now that she was ready and waiting for EJ to arrive in the gazebo. He wasn't one to be late and as she pressed down the layers of her flowing black dress she was wearing she hoped she wasn't making a mistake, but Eric had been right, she needed to tell EJ and let him decide what he wanted to do after he got the information from her.

Rolf hadn't been kidding when he said he could do wonders, he had transformed the gazebo to something that looked like it could be straight out of a fairytale. Twinkling lights all aglow in the eaves of the gazebo, a table for two with crisp white linens on it, place settings that looked like something out of a magazine and the food looked so tempting. He'd even brought her sparkling cider for her to use tonight which was chilling in the ice bucket.

So everything was all set, it was a perfect romantic evening meant for two and Sami prayed EJ wouldn't be long. She didn't want to lose her nerve and the longer she waited the more nervous she got, even pulling at her upswept hairdo that she had arranged in a chignon which caused some of the strands to fall loosely around her face now.

She could do this, she would do this she said over and over in her head and then when she thought EJ might not be coming, she turned and there he was standing outside the gazebo staring at the lights and she saw his eyes widen in surprise when he saw her sitting at the table waiting for him to arrive.

She smiled when he handed her the bouquet of roses, she gladly accepted them.

"These are beautiful EJ. Thank you," Sami took a deep breath inhaling the sweet scent of the roses before she set them down beside her.

"I know they aren't your favorite, but I was pressed for time…"

"They're perfect. I love them. Sorry I'm already seated, but I didn't know how long you would be and I was getting antsy."

EJ took his seat at the table sitting across from her wondering exactly what had prompted Samantha to go to such lengths for them to be able to talk with one another.

"This is nice," EJ stated as he looked around the table and then he looked at her and his breath caught, she was so incredibly beautiful in the candlelight that it made him want to get down on one knee and propose to her right now, but he needed to wait and not scare her off. He wanted to know why she had arranged for them to meet here.

"Rolf helped, well actually he did all of this out here, I just showed up after getting ready," Sami said as she tried to stop her hands from shaking. She was really nervous because she didn't know how EJ was going to take this news at all.

"You look amazing, you're absolutely glowing in the candlelight" EJ complimented her and Sami looked down at her lap for a brief moment and then met his gaze.

Sami took a deep breath, if that wasn't a sign from the good Lord above to tell him the reason behind her healthy glow her name wasn't Samantha Gene Brady. She bet Eric had been praying for her nonstop since he had left her this afternoon.

"Samantha are you okay? Does this have something to do with why you had to go to the hospital the other day? Oh god you aren't dying are you?"

Sami shook her head, but couldn't quite find the words to tell him. She took another deep breath afraid she was going to hyperventilate and pass out right in front of him and ruin their evening. She closed her eyes and then opened them, her hands shaking profusely now. She tried to speak the words, but none came out.

EJ got up from his chair and went over to her, kneeling down beside her. "Sweetheart what's going on?"

She looked into his eyes, ones that were so full of fear and then a peace and calm came over her when he took her hands within his own. "EJ, I'm not dying."

EJ smiled a smile of relief, she had scared him for a minute, but he was still in the dark about what all of this meant, "Good because I can't live without you darling. My life wouldn't be worth living if you weren't here with me."

"You're so sweet to me, better than I deserve…"

"I'm not good enough for you, but I wanted to tell you something that's been on my heart for a while now…"

"EJ, what are you talking about?"

"Samantha, will you…"

"Stop! Don't say another word!" Sami warned as EJ's face immediately fell.

Damn she wasn't even going to let him ask her to marry him, she was cutting him off before he got the question out in the open.

"EJ, I have to tell you something that really important before you go on. I've just got to get this off my chest."

"You want to move out the mansion don't you?" EJ asked as he began to get up from beside her.

Sami tugged on his hands, not allowing him to leave her side. "No EJ, it's something else entirely."

"I know you're upset with me because Nicole is pregnant but I swear to you I don't love her, it was all a huge mistake, you told me to stay away from her, but I wanted to make you jealous and then it all blew up in my face. I'm so sorry Samantha please forgive me for being so foolish."

"EJ, please let me get this out…"

"You want to leave here. I totally understand…"

"Will you shut up for two seconds? I've been trying to find a way to tell you that I'm pregnant and you won't let me get two words in edgewise," Sami rolled her eyes at him, which caused EJ to pause and look at her like she had lost her mind.

"You're pregnant?"

"Almost three months, but I promise I didn't know until the other day when I was at the hospital. I don't keep track of my periods. Then the doctor came in and said I was pregnant I didn't want to believe him, but I knew exactly when it happened."

EJ began to smile, "The night we made love before it all went to hell in a hand basket."

"Well it had been a pretty amazing night up until Lucas showed up and then…"

"You're having my baby?" EJ asked as he stood up and gently pulled her up next to him.

Sami nodded her head, tears in her eyes, "I know this is horrible timing with Nicole being pregnant and I didn't want to put this added stress on you."

"You've been worried about how I would take the news? Darling this is good news, this is fantastic news!" EJ picked her up and swirled her in his arms.

"Whoa, put me down, I might get sick on you," Sami cautioned as EJ stopped and put her feet back down on the ground.

"Wow, I'm so excited! We're having another baby. I love you Sweetheart!" EJ couldn't help himself as he leaned down to kiss her lips.

Sami put her arms around his neck momentarily enjoying their kiss until it hit her, EJ had told her he loved her.

"You love me?"

"I've never stopped loving you. Do you love me?"

Sami nodded her head, no words coming out once more. EJ tipped her chin up so that he could look in her eyes. "Samantha you love me right?"

"Yes, but everything is so complicated and I've just made it all worse by getting pregnant and you have to deal with Nicole and me both and it's all…."

"Going to be all right," EJ finished her sentence. "As long as you love me everything else will work out just the way it's supposed to be. But I've really got something to ask you if you'll let me get two words in edgewise as well."

"What's that?" Sami asked as EJ reached into his jacket pocket and he kneeled down in front of her again.

"Will you marry me?"

"EJ, are you serious?"

"I love you, you love me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and only you. If you can forgive me for being such a huge fool about Nicole I truly believe we can work things out. I mean it won't be easy and I'm sure she'll try to cause trouble for us, but I'd endure anything if I have you by my side."

"EJ, you're such an idiot. Why would you want me? I'm nothing but trouble."

"Hey Trouble, I'm waiting for an answer."

Sami smiled thinking they had a long road ahead of them especially all they would probably have to deal with Nicole but she loved this man and somehow he loved her too.

"Samantha?"

"Yes, I'll marry you. Apparently you're a glutton for punishment."

EJ placed the ring on her finger, stood up and he gave her a wicked grin, "Depends on the punishment darling."

"You're incorrigible…"

"I know," and then he pulled her in for another kiss and despite all the chaos that was going on with his life he knew things were going to be just fine.

As long as he had Samantha and her love in his life he could handle anything.

**The End**

**Epilogue**

_One year later…_

"EJ hurry up, we're going to be late," Sami urged him as they all made their way to the Brady Pub. She knew EJ wasn't thrilled about going to meet with the rest of their family but the celebration they were having for Eric getting moved to St. Luke's parish was going to be a big one and she wasn't going to miss her twin brothers day for anything in the world.

EJ was in the rear of their family procession, Sami and the twins just a few yards ahead of them. "Coming as fast as I can with the baby carrier. You don't want me to drop Sydney, do you?"

"No, but you can move faster when you want to. I've seen you in action," Sami called back to him and gave him a knowing look.

"Need I remind you what certain things I will hurry for when you call?" EJ arched his eyebrow as he looked at her.

"Shut up the twins do not need to be corrupted with such talk," Sami turned back around, trying to keep up with the twins, they were running everywhere now and she had to push herself to keep up with them.

EJ smiled and hoisted the baby carrier so that he could walk a bit faster, not realizing he was about to bump into someone until it was almost too late. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be in such a rush…"

"It's okay, we saw you coming," Daniel remarked while pushing a baby stroller in front of him, Nicole by his side.

"Hi Nicole, nice to see you," EJ said and it was good to actually mean it. After Samantha had agreed to marry him again it hadn't been long afterward he had gotten a call from Daniel that night informing him Nicole was in the hospital.

Both he and Sami had went together that night to the hospital thinking the worst, that Nicole was losing the baby, but her son had been saved. A few days later when she was able to receive visitors she and Daniel had told them the news that Daniel was the father and while they hadn't become the best of friends at least they could all be civil to one another when they saw each other in public.

"You too EJ," Nicole smiled as she looked in the baby carrier at his little girl while he told them their baby boy was really growing.

"Yeah Parker amazes me every day," Daniel proudly beamed down at his son before looking back at his fiancé. He and Nicole were planning a wedding in June and he couldn't be happier.

"Well I've got to get going. Big Day for the Brady clan," EJ stated as he started to walk away from them.

"Have fun," Nicole said with a smirk.

"I always do with Samantha," EJ remarked and then he caught up with his wife and they entered the Pub with their children ready to celebrate Eric's big day.

"It's funny how things work out isn't it?" Nicole asked as Daniel leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I mean this time last year I was all psycho crazy over EJ and now we're about to get married instead."

"Things work out for a reason," Daniel smiled and they walked away from the Pub, each couple happy with their own lives over how things turned out for them all.


End file.
